January 6, 2026 | 11:47 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amnesty International Indonesia has condemned the presence of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) at the trial of former Minister of Education, Nadiem Makarim. The human rights organization deemed the presence of military personnel in the courtroom as intimidating to participants.
"The presence of TNI members in the courtroom could make civilian witnesses feel intimidated and disrupt the trial process," said Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Amnesty explains that military personnel in civilian trials violate the Constitution by overstepping the boundary between civilian and defense matters. According to Usman, civilian trials do not fall under the realm of war or conditions requiring military defense.
"Involving the TNI in guarding courtrooms or trials is an excessive policy that is not at all urgent," said Usman. "There is no emergency that necessitates the military's presence in courtrooms."
Amnesty believes that the militarization of civilian spaces damages governance and undermines TNI professionalism. Amnesty is convinced that involving the military in civilian courts pulls the TNI away from its primary duty of maintaining state sovereignty and makes it proficient in areas outside its defense mandate.
Based on this, Amnesty International Indonesia urges the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to stop the TNI's multifunctional practices. They want the military institution to return to its primary duty of safeguarding state's defense. "It is enough for the TNI to guard military court proceedings, without needing to do the same in civilian courts. The military should return to the barracks," said Usman.
Previously, the judge reprimanded TNI personnel during the trial of alleged corruption involving the former Minister. This happened while Nadiem's legal advisors were reading an objection to the indictment. Chief Judge Purwanto S. Abdullah suddenly interjected, "Before we continue, where are these TNI comrades from?" He then requested the three TNI soldiers not to stand in front of the courtroom door.
Head of the TNI Information Center, Brigadier General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah, stated that the three personnel were there at the request of the prosecutor's office. This request aimed to protect the prosecutor during law enforcement duties. Aulia justified the assignment by citing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the military and the Attorney General's Office, as well as Presidential Regulation Number 66 of 2025 concerning state protection for prosecutors.
"The presence of those involved is solely to carry out their duties in accordance with the applicable provisions," said Aulia when contacted on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
The trial on January 5, 2026, included the reading of the indictment against Nadiem Makarim regarding the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Manager. Nadiem's camp responded with an objection note. Nadiem was charged with violating Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 juncto Article 18 of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption juncto Article 55 paragraph (1) point 1 of the Criminal Code. In the trial, Nadiem was accused of causing state losses amounting to Rp2.1 trillion in the alleged Chromebook corruption case.
Amelia Rahima Sari contributed to the report.
Read: Amnesty: New KUHP, KUHAP Ease Criminalization of Government Critics
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Chromebook Graft Case: Nadiem Makarim Offers Reverse Proof
12 jam lalu
Former Minister of Education, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, through his legal advisor, stated his readiness to undergo reversed burden of proof in the alleged corruption case of Chromebook procurement.
Nadiem Makarim Charged With Causing Rp2.1 Trillion in State Losses
1 hari lalu
A former Minister of Education, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, was charged with causing state losses of Rp2.1 trillion in the alleged corruption case related to the procurement of Chromebook laptops.
Nadiem Makarim's Corruption Trial Begins in Jakarta Today
1 hari lalu
The indictment hearing for Nadiem had to be postponed twice because the former minister was still recovering from surgery.
Prosecutor: Nadiem Replaced Officials Who Rejected Chromebook
20 hari lalu
The Public Prosecutor says that Nadiem Makarim was mentioned to have replaced two officials at the Education Ministry because they reject Chromebooks.
Lawyer Denies Nadiem Profited Rp809bn from Chromebooks
20 hari lalu
Nadiem's legal representative responds to the prosecutor's allegation of his client being enriched by Rp 809 billion from the procurement project of Chromebook at the Ministry of Education.
Nadiem Makarim Skips First Chromebook Graft Hearing
21 hari lalu
Indonesian Former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim was unable to attend the 1st hearing for the indictment reading in the Chromebook corruption case.
Nadiem Makarim's Lawyer Defends Chromebook Policy as Corruption Case Heads to Court
27 hari lalu
The corruption case files of Indonesian ex-minister Nadiem Makarim have been transferred to the Jakarta Corruption Court.
AGO Interrogates Nadiem Makarim for 10 Hours in Chromebook Corruption Case
15 Oktober 2025
Former Minister Nadiem Makarim is questioned by the AGO as a suspect in the Chromebook procurement corruption case for 10 hours.
Judge Rejects Nadiem Makarim's Pretrial Petition in Chromebook Case
13 Oktober 2025
The judge dismissed Nadiem Makarim's claim that his detention was invalid.
Decision on Nadiem Makarim's Legal Challenge to Be Announced Today
13 Oktober 2025
This pretrial becomes the culmination of a legal dispute between Nadiem Makarim and the Attorney General's Office, which designated him as a suspect.
