6,770 Troops Guard Former President's Defamation Hearing in Jakarta
Security forces secured the East Jakarta District Court as tensions rose over a wiretapping scandal that has detained three senior generals.
By Isaac Medina ·
Indonesian authorities deployed 6,770 police and military personnel on Thursday to secure the East Jakarta District Court for the appearance of former President Joko Widodo. Widodo was called to testify in a defamation trial that stems from allegations he used a fake university diploma. This legal proceeding is distinct from the current investigation into unauthorized surveillance of government officials.
The heavy security presence follows a wave of arrests in a wiretapping scandal that has unsettled the capital. Three senior generals were detained in connection with the case. Among them is Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who served as national police chief under Widodo and was named chief of staff to President Prabowo Subianto last month. The other two detained officers are Insp. Gen. Ahrie Sonta Nasution, head of the National Police Legal Division, and Insp. Gen. Eko Hadi Santoso, a senior instructor at the National Police Education and Training Institute.
Police allege the unauthorized wiretapping occurred between 2025 and 2026. This period covers the time after Prabowo was elected and while Listyo still held the rank of national police chief. Allegations state that President Prabowo, along with cabinet officials, politicians, journalists, civil society leaders, and business executives, were subjected to these intercepts. Widodo has not been implicated in the wiretapping investigation despite his previous role in Listyo's appointment.
The government has called in more than 20,000 troops to Jakarta since the arrests. Although thousands are present in the capital, authorities have stated that most forces remain in reserve at barracks and other facilities rather than on the streets. East Jakarta Police chief Alfian Nurrizal described the Thursday deployment as a precautionary measure against potential security risks and large crowds.
Nurrizal noted that the actual deployment of personnel would be adjusted based on conditions at the courthouse. He indicated that most of the forces were being held on standby. The presidential palace has characterized the wiretaps as an act of treason that endangered state interests, though it has not directly linked the troop deployment to the case.
Widodo arrived at the court in the morning to a crowd of hundreds of supporters who chanted messages of encouragement. The former president entered the building as the legal battle over his academic credentials continues, separate from the ongoing probe into high-level police surveillance.
