Three army generals were detained on Tuesday over a wiretapping scandal. According to Indonesian police, they illegally eavesdropped on the telephone numbers of important state officials, politicians and businesspeople, as well as those of the country's president, Prabowo Subianto. If their guilt is proven, they could face charges of treason.
On Tuesday, Indonesia was shaken by a case of illegal wiretapping of the country's president and dozens of other prominent public figures. The Criminal Investigation Agency subsequently arrested three high-ranking military officials: the head of the presidential office, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo; the head of the National Police's legal division, Major General Ahrie Sonta Nasution; and Major General Eko Hadi Santoso, who served as senior instructor at the National Police Education and Training Institute.
Investigators are currently looking into possible illegal interception of communications, unauthorised access to electronic systems and deletion of data. This is alleged to have taken place between 2025 and 2026, when Listyo was serving as chief of the National Police. It is still unclear why the eavesdropping took place, how many people were affected, or who ordered the whole operation.
According to Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections, investigators have found no indications that it amounted to treason. However, subsequent findings are said to support the theory that the aim of the operation may have been to paralyse the government.
'When we are talking about the head of state, there is a large amount of highly sensitive information that could potentially be misused for purposes endangering the interests of the nation,' said State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi at a press conference on Wednesday. 'What they did can be regarded as conduct leading towards treason, because it endangers the interests of the state, including the leadership of the country.' If such conduct were confirmed, the detainees could face the death penalty.
The statement from the presidential palace has raised questions about the country's current security situation. On Monday, the Indonesian army began summoning military units to the capital, Jakarta. By Wednesday, the number of army personnel had risen to just under 21,000. These are units from the city's immediate surroundings, including naval units. According to armed forces spokesman Major General Muhammad Nas, this is standard procedure to maintain safety and order. Nevertheless, tension continues to prevail in Jakarta given the circumstances.
Another Monday, another film night – this time with a theme of intelligence services and espionage. On the evening of 2 November, we screened Bridge of Spies, followed, of course, by a discussion with Professor Miroslav Mareš.
Another week has passed, and once again I am reporting from Lille in northern France. Little happened last week because of the academic break, i.e. the school holidays, but on 31 October protests were held again in all the larger French cities. Moreover, the government led by Prime Minister Lecornu has accepted some of the protesters' demands, and the effects that the tear gas used by police to disperse crowds (lacrymogène) can have on women's health are gradually coming to light.
