Three Named as Suspects in Bantul Church Service Disruption Case

The Yogyakarta Special Region Police (Polda DIY) have named three suspects in the case of disruption and forced dissolution of a worship service at Gereja Misi Sejahtera (GMS) Sewon, Bantul Regency, which occurred in May 2026.

Polda DIY Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Ihsan, said the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) had issued official summonses to the three suspects to undergo legal proceedings.

“We expect the suspects to be cooperative by complying with the investigators’ summons and undergoing the legal process currently underway,” he said in a written statement.

During the investigation, Polda DIY examined 32 witnesses to examine the sequence of events and gather evidence before ultimately naming three suspects.

“The three suspects have the initials D (47), BS (54), and AH (55),” he said.

According to him, the suspects are charged with alleged criminal offences against religious life or beliefs and places of worship as referred to in Article 303 paragraph (3) or Article 303 paragraph (2) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.

“The application of this article forms part of the legal construction used by investigators in handling the case,” he said.

He stressed that the handling of the case reflects the police’s commitment to providing protection for all religious activities taking place in the Yogyakarta Special Region.

“We reaffirm Polda DIY’s commitment to providing protection for every religious activity and taking firm action against any intolerant perpetrators who may disrupt public order and security in the Yogyakarta Special Region,” he said.

Polda DIY assured that the case is being handled professionally in accordance with applicable legal provisions and urged all parties to respect the ongoing legal process.