Eyewitness News — DENPASAR
Mediation for a IDR 25 billion ($1.6M) civil lawsuit filed by prominent lawyer Togar Situmorang, known as “Panglima Hukum,” against four media outlets collapsed at the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday (Aug 4).
Representing the defendants, a defense team of 34 lawyers under the Bali Journalists Solidarity (SJB) coalition firmly rejected all settlement terms, pushing the case to full trial.
The defense argued that the plaintiff’s mediation terms offered no room for compromise, merely repeating the original demands: IDR 25 billion in damages, a public apology with clarifying news, and the complete takedown of related coverage.
“If the proposal is identical to the lawsuit, what is there to mediate? We won’t agree to a settlement, not even by a fraction of a percent,” said senior lawyer and head of the Denpasar PERADI SAI chapter.
The defense emphasized that their refusal is not just about the money, but about defending press freedom. They classified the legal action as an unjustified lawsuit against the press with strong characteristics of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP)—an effort to silence critical reporting and social control.
“If we settle today, there’s no guarantee other media outlets won’t face the same threat tomorrow,” a defense lawyer stated. “We want this case to strengthen democratic protections for press freedom in Indonesia.”
The court mediator has given the defense two days to submit a formal written rejection before reporting the failed mediation to the panel of judges to proceed to trial.
Reporter: Daniel Herry
