The arrest of a student from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) with the initials SSS, who created memes about the 7th President of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and President Prabowo Subianto, has sparked various demands for her release. The arrest is seen as reflecting the authoritarian attitude of the authorities and restricting freedom of expression. SSS was apprehended by the police at her boarding house in Jatinangor, Sumedang Regency, West Java, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The Head of the Public Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police, Kombes Erdi A Chaniago, revealed that SSS has been declared a suspect and is currently being detained at the Police Criminal Investigation Detention Center. SSS is suspected of violating Article 45 paragraph 1 Jo Article 27 paragraph 1 and/or Article 51 paragraph 1 Jo Article 35 of Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE), with a maximum sentence of 6 years in prison. Release Demands The Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, urged the police to immediately release SSS. He believes that this arrest is a form of criminalization of freedom of expression in the digital space. “The police continue to engage in authoritarian practices to suppress freedom of expression,” Usman said on Sunday, May 11, 2025. He also emphasized that this action goes against the spirit of the recent decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) which stated that disturbances on social media are not considered criminal acts. Academic Freedom Protection The Secretary-General of the Prabowo-Gibran Youth Volunteers, Hanief Adrian, also called for the release of SSS. He argued that in more mature democracies, satire against state officials is more vulgar and not subject to criminalization. “As a student of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, she is protected by academic freedom,” explained Hanief. He added that expression within the framework of academia and art must be protected. Rehabilitation Alternatives Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission III, Nasir Djamil, believes that although the meme was inappropriate, SSS should be rehabilitated rather than detained. “Criticism should be conveyed in a form that does not focus on personal attacks,” he said. Nasir also emphasized the importance of ethics in freedom of expression to avoid causing controversy. This content has been enhanced using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
