More than 20,000 troops guard Jakarta as former president faces court date
Security forces were mobilized for a defamation trial involving Joko Widodo, occurring alongside a separate investigation into unauthorized wiretapping of current officials.
By Amit Chukwu ·
Indonesian authorities have deployed thousands of security personnel to Jakarta for a court hearing involving former president Joko Widodo.
The large military and police presence coincides with ongoing tensions over an investigation into the interception of phone calls by senior officials.
The government mobilized more than 20,000 personnel to the capital following the arrest of three senior generals. On Thursday, officials reported that 6,770 police officers and military staff were specifically assigned to secure Widodo's appearance in court.
Widodo was called to testify in a defamation case stemming from allegations that he used a fake university diploma. This legal matter is distinct from the current wiretapping scandal.
The wiretapping investigation targets high-ranking figures who allegedly monitored calls without proper authorization. Police claim these unauthorized interceptions took place between 2025 and 2026.
General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, formerly the national police chief, was named chief of staff for President Prabowo Subianto last month. He has been detained along with Inspector General Ahrie Sonta Nasution, head of the police legal division, and Inspector General Eko Hadi Santoso, the principal instructor at the police education institute.
Accusations suggest that cabinet members, politicians, journalists, civil society leaders, and business executives were also subject to surveillance. The presidential palace described the wiretapping as an act of treason that endangered state interests, though it did not link the troop deployment directly to that case.
Alfian Nurrizal, the chief of police for East Jakarta, stated that the deployment was a precautionary measure due to security risks and large crowds. He noted that most forces remained in reserve at barracks rather than on the streets.
Widodo arrived at the East Jakarta District Court in the morning, where hundreds of supporters chanted messages of encouragement as he entered the building.
Nurrizal said the actual number of personnel active would adjust based on conditions at the court.
Source: La Voz de Houston
