Prosecutors: Jokowi Felt 'Utterly Humiliated' by Doctor Tifa

Public Prosecutor (JPU) stated that Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) felt ‘utterly humiliated’ by the actions of defendant Tifauzia Tyassuma, alias Doctor Tifa, who accused Jokowi’s undergraduate degree of being fake. This was conveyed by the prosecutor during the reading of the indictment against Doctor Tifa at the first hearing at the East Jakarta District Court on Thursday (2/7). The prosecutor explained that initially in March 2025, witness Syarif Muhammad showed Jokowi three posts on social media platform X that attacked Jokowi’s honour and reputation, essentially accusing his undergraduate degree of being fake. Of the three posts, one was an upload by Doctor Tifa on her X account. After seeing the three posts, Jokowi then asked Syarif to collect social media posts that attacked his honour and reputation by accusing his undergraduate degree of being fake. On the other hand, on 14 April 2025, Jokowi’s Legal Team held a press conference essentially stating that the accusations regarding Jokowi’s undergraduate degree were untrue and highly misleading. The legal counsel also stated that Jokowi’s undergraduate degree exists, is genuine, and has been clearly confirmed by Gadjah Mada University and the relevant authorities. ‘The Legal Counsel also reminded the public not to spread accusations and false news claiming that witness Jokowi’s undergraduate degree is fake,’ said the prosecutor. Then, in April-May 2025, witness Syarif showed Jokowi a total of 28 social media posts attacking his honour and reputation by accusing his degree of being fake. Of the 28 social media posts, five were actions by Doctor Tifa accusing Jokowi’s degree of being fake. The prosecutor stated that Jokowi was a student at the Faculty of Forestry, Gadjah Mada University, officially registered since 28 July 1980. During his studies, he completed all academic requirements according to the 1982 Undergraduate Programme Guide, totalling 160 credit hours, after which Gadjah Mada University issued a Bachelor of Forestry degree certificate, Number: 1120, dated 5 November 1985, in the name of Jokowi. The prosecutor stated that as a result of Doctor Tifa’s actions accusing the degree of being fake, Jokowi suffered immaterial losses. ‘As a result of the defendant’s actions, witness Jokowi suffered immaterial losses, namely the besmirching of his personal reputation, feeling utterly humiliated and deeply degraded, and there were parties who also accused witness Jokowi of using a fake diploma to fulfil candidacy requirements for previous public offices, namely Mayor of Solo, Governor of DKI Jakarta, and President of the Republic of Indonesia,’ said the prosecutor. The prosecutor stated that the defendant’s actions constituted statements containing untrue accusations. This is because Gadjah Mada University had officially confirmed that Jokowi is a graduate of the Faculty of Forestry in accordance with academic facts, yet the defendant continued to accuse the witness’s undergraduate degree of being fake through social media posts and talk shows. ‘Regarding the defendant’s accusations against witness Jokowi, the defendant could not prove the accusations, and the accusations contradicted what the defendant knew, so the defendant’s actions constitute an attack on the honour of witness Jokowi using information technology,’ said the prosecutor.