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Police release ITB student arrested over ‘indecent’ meme
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People participate in a protest march on Feb. 23, 2024, toward the national headquarters of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Menteng, Central Jakarta. (AFP/Adek Berry)
T
he National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) released on Sunday a student from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) who was briefly detained for allegedly making and sharing a meme that mocked President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Police released the ITB arts and design student, identified only by her initials SSS, following appeals from the student as well as her parents, National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen.Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said.
“The suspect and her family have also apologized to the President and Jokowi,” Trunoyudo told a press conference on Sunday.
SSS was arrested last Wednesday for creating and posting an AI-generated image depicting Prabowo and Jokowi kissing, which was shared widely on X in recent weeks.
She has been charged with violating several provisions in the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law on manipulating, altering or damaging electronic information, though it is unclear if her case will be dropped following her release.
In a statement following her release, ITB expressed gratitude and appreciation to the President and the National Police chief, as well as all parties involved in securing the student’s release, saying the institution “will continue to further the student’s academic and character development”.
The arrest prompted an outcry over the weekend from rights groups, which called the move a violation of freedom of expression and pointed to its inconsistency with a recent Constitutional Court ruling that decriminalized unrest in digital spaces.
