THMP Accuses Denny Indrayana's Legal Move Over Gibran's Diploma of Treason Attempt

The Merah Putih Legal Team (THMP) formally sent a summons numbered 110/THMP-JKT/IX/2026 to constitutional law expert Denny Indrayana on Monday (14/9/2026). In the summons, THMP accused Denny's series of efforts to question the diploma of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka—from the contest to the petition to the Constitutional Court—of being part of an alleged criminal act of treason. The accusation marks a new escalation in a polemic that began as a matter of educational documents into a criminal threat against a legal activist.

THMP coordinator C. Suhadi argued that Denny's move did not stop at diploma verification. According to him, the petition filed with the Constitutional Court on 10 September 2026 to disqualify Gibran as a vice-presidential candidate was a systematic effort to shake the legitimacy of a lawful government. "If the requirement for presidential and vice-presidential candidates is interpreted as having to possess a physical high school diploma or equivalent, then you are building room for a coup against the President and Vice President," Suhadi said, as quoted by Tribunnews.com.

Denny himself had earlier opened a contest to find evidence of Gibran's high school diploma on 9 August 2026 with a prize claimed to reach billions of rupiah. The contest closed on 9 September, a day before he and a number of petitioners filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court. The petitioners asked the court to annul a series of decisions related to Gibran's candidacy through to his inauguration as Vice President. THMP views this maneuver as an effort to build the opinion that Gibran does not meet constitutional requirements.

The treason threat under the old Criminal Code (KUHP) as well as Law No. 1/2023 carries heavy legal consequences, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or the death penalty. However, applying the treason article to constitutional advocacy efforts has drawn criticism. A number of observers assess that THMP's move could reduce the space for public participation in overseeing the democratic process. Denny, known as a former Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights, has not yet given an official response to the summons.

"If we accept your analysis in the context of our scholarship, that the requirement for presidential and vice-presidential candidates is that each ticket must physically possess a high school diploma or equivalent, then you are building room for a coup against the President and Vice President." — C. Suhadi, THMP Coordinator

For readers in Indonesia, especially market participants and legal professionals, this development highlights the tension between freedom of expression and political stability. The legal uncertainty arising from treason accusations against activists can affect investor sentiment toward domestic political risk. If this precedent continues, policy advocacy through constitutional channels could face obstacles, which in turn weakens the checks and balances mechanism. The government and the DPR need to immediately clarify the boundary between constitutional criticism and criminal acts so that the democratic climate remains healthy.

Going forward, the public will wait to see whether the Constitutional Court grants the election dispute petition filed by Denny, and how THMP follows up on their summons. If this case proceeds to the criminal realm, Indonesia risks facing a new chapter of criminalizing legal activism that could erode trust in law enforcement institutions. The question is, will this country choose the path of constitutional dialogue or instead deepen polarization with the weapon of the treason article?