Thousands of troops deployed for former president's trial in Jakarta
Security forces were positioned across the capital as Joko Widodo testified in a defamation case while a separate wiretapping scandal deepens.
By Diego Mendoza ·
Indonesian authorities deployed thousands of police and military personnel to Jakarta on Thursday to secure a court hearing for former President Joko Widodo. The heavy security presence comes amid rising tensions over a wiretapping scandal that has detained three senior generals.
The trial concerns a defamation lawsuit alleging that Widodo used a fake university diploma. It is unrelated to the current investigation into unauthorized surveillance of the current president, Prabowo Subianto.
The wiretapping case has become a focal point of political friction. Police allege the interception of calls occurred between 2025 and 2026, a period when Prabowo had been elected and Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo was still the national police chief.
Listyo, who was named chief of staff to President Prabowo last month, is among the three detained generals. The other two 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.
Allegations extend beyond the two presidents. Authorities indicate that cabinet officials, politicians, journalists, civil society leaders, and business executives may have also been subjected to the surveillance. The presidential palace has described the wiretaps as an act of treason that endangered state interests, though it has not explicitly linked the troop deployment to the case.
Retired police Gen. Oegroseno, a former deputy national police chief, called for a wider investigation on a podcast Wednesday. He stated that investigators should not hesitate to question a former president if necessary to uncover the motive behind the operation.
Widodo and Prabowo were once close allies, with Widodo supporting Prabowo’s successful 2024 presidential bid. They have since shown signs of a growing rift. Neither leader has publicly commented on the wiretapping case.
As Widodo arrived at the East Jakarta District Court on Thursday morning, hundreds of supporters chanted messages of encouragement. East Jakarta Police chief Alfian Nurrizal said the deployment of 6,770 personnel was a precautionary measure for large crowds and potential risks. He noted that most forces were held on standby and that actual deployment would adjust to conditions at the courthouse.
Indonesian armed forces spokesperson Maj. Gen. Muhammad Nas previously described the deployment of 20,000 marines and other personnel to Jakarta as a normal occurrence. Despite the numbers, authorities said most troops remained in barracks or other facilities rather than standing on the streets.
