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CNA Explains: What is treason as defined under Indonesia law?

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Recent claims accusing former National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo and other officers of illicit surveillance have triggered scrutiny under Law No 1 of 2023. Convictions require proving specific intent, such as aiming to incapacitate national leaders or overthrow legitimate authority. Article 191 outlines severe consequences for these actions, prescribing penalties ranging up to life imprisonment or death for plots aiming to kill sitting leaders. Legal observers also emphasize that the statute applies to broader secessionist acts and state power seizures.

Key points

  • Indonesian law strictly requires prosecutors to establish intent to harm leaders or incap…: Indonesian law strictly requires prosecutors to establish intent to harm leaders or incapacitate the government to prove treason.
  • The criminal definition of treason extends past physical attacks to include territorial s…: The criminal definition of treason extends past physical attacks to include territorial secession and unconstitutional seizures of power.
  • Severe statutory penalties for treason range from twenty years behind bars to life impris…: Severe statutory penalties for treason range from twenty years behind bars to life imprisonment and capital punishment.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The term treason under Indonesian law has resurfaced amid allegations that former police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo wiretapped President Prabowo Subianto.

JAKARTA: The term treason has resurfaced in Indonesia after the government said the alleged wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto could constitute the offence.

The case involves former National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who has been named a suspect alongside two other senior police officers over the alleged surveillance of the president and several prominent figures.

"We can consider this an act that potentially amounts to treason," State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (Nov 4).

Prasetyo said the alleged actions could threaten national interests and the president's safety. However, the government acknowledged that the motive behind the suspected wiretapping remains unclear as investigations are ongoing.

So what constitutes treason under Indonesian law? What forms can it take, and how severe are the penalties?

WHAT CONSTITUTES TREASON UNDER INDONESIA'S CRIMINAL CODE?

Eva Achjani Zulfa, a law professor at the University of Indonesia, said treason can involve an attempt to kill or harm the…

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