Magelang Rector Guarantees Educational Rights of Convicted Student Demonstrators from August Protests

Two students from Universitas Tidar (Untidar) in Magelang, Central Java, Muhammad Azhar Fauzan (22) and Purnomo Yogi Antoro (22), were sentenced to five months in prison by the Magelang District Court panel of judges in a case of alleged incitement related to unrest during last year’s August protest wave.

Although they will become convicts due to the August action last year, which occurred not only in Magelang, Untidar Rector Prof Sugiyarto has guaranteed the educational rights of his two students.

“We will try to see the regulations later so that [the August protest convicts] do not become victims. That means their learning rights remain guaranteed,” Sugiyarto told reporters at the Tuguran Campus in Magelang City on Tuesday (5/5), quoted from detikJateng.

In addition, Sugiyarto said that even before the court verdict, his side continued to provide assistance to the two students entangled in legal issues due to last year’s August protest wave.

“[Regarding the verdict for the two Untidar students] This is not a collegial matter. It’s a court decision, we can’t do anything about it. But clearly, from the beginning, we have maximally accompanied them, but we did it elegantly,” he said.

“That means good communication channels with the legal team have been maximal. By making statements and continuously accompanying. We also submitted [a letter for suspension of detention] and so on. Externally, we have been quite optimal,” Sugiyarto continued.

Meanwhile, while the two students were in the legal process, their academic status was set to leave of absence.

“For this semester, they are on leave (Azhar and Yogi). The leave process is because they are detained, we facilitated it,” he added.

“If they don’t face sanctions that require what, we can still embrace them. We embrace them. And quietly, we will help as much as possible. Suppose if they are already at thesis stage, they can get a head start on research or even whatever,” Sugiyarto continued.

Previously, the Magelang District Court panel of judges sentenced three Magelang activists accused of incitement related to the August 2025 protests to five months in prison. The judges convicted the three defendants under the subsidiary article on incitement.

The trial, led by Chief Judge Cahya Imawati, began around 11:15 WIB. The proceedings were attended by the two Untidar student defendants, Muhammad Azhar Fauzan (22) and Purnomo Yogi Antoro (22), as well as activist from Ruang Juang, Enrille Championy Geniosa (23).

“Ruling, firstly, that defendant 1, Muhammad Azhar Fauzan, defendant 2, Purnomo Yogi Antoro, and defendant 3, Enrille Championy Geniosa are proven legally and convincingly guilty of participating in the criminal act of publicly inciting people orally or in writing to resist the public authority with violence as in the second alternative charge,” said Chief Judge Cahya Imawati during the trial at the Magelang District Court on Monday (4/5).

“Secondly, imposing a prison sentence of five months on the defendants. Thirdly, deducting the entire period of arrest and detention served by the defendants from the imposed sentence. Fourthly, the defendants remain detained,” she continued.

Following the verdict, the defendants then delivered speeches outside the courtroom. They ignited the spirit of supporters who provided support during the trial.

Meanwhile, legal advisor from the People’s Advocacy Network (Jangkar), Kharisma Wardhatul K, expressed disappointment over the verdict.

“This is certainly a very deep disappointment. Although we had previously suspected that the worst scenario was a guilty verdict,” Kharisma said.

“But we did not expect at all that the judge did not consider anything. The words ‘considering, considering’, in fact, were just copy-pasted from the indictment and prosecution. Which did not consider the trial facts at all nor the defences made by the defendants and the advocates. From this, we know the capacity of the judges at the Magelang District Court,” she added.

Regarding the five-month prison sentence, Kharisma stated at that time that they were still considering it together with the defendants.