Prosecutors: Jokowi Suffered Immaterial Loss, Felt Humiliated by Dr Tifa's Accusations

Prosecutors have charged Tifauzia Tyasumma, known as Dr Tifa, with defamation, alleging that former President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) suffered immaterial loss and felt deeply humiliated by her actions. The charges were read during a hearing at the East Jakarta District Court on Thursday.

According to the indictment, Jokowi felt he had been ‘insulted to the highest degree and degraded to the lowest point’ after discovering the accusations through social media posts. The former president reportedly learned that Dr Tifa had accused his undergraduate degree of being fake.

Following the discovery, Jokowi instructed his aide and legal counsel to collect evidence of the social media posts. The prosecution identified five posts that were deemed to have attacked his honour and dignity.

The prosecution further stated that they have obtained evidence confirming the authenticity of Jokowi’s diploma. This conclusion was supported by a criminalistics laboratory examination report conducted by the Indonesian National Police, which verified the document’s legitimacy. Additionally, records from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) confirmed the issuance of the forestry degree certificate under Jokowi’s name.

‘The defendant could not prove her accusations, and the accusations contradict what the defendant herself knew,’ the prosecutor stated in the indictment. Dr Tifa faces primary charges under Article 434, paragraph 1, and subsidiary charges under Article 433, paragraph 1, of the Criminal Code, in conjunction with the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.