Head of PWI Sorong Raya and Head of IJTI Reported by Police for Alleged Violations of the ITE Law
Association of Indonesian Citizen Journalists (PPWI) Sorong Raya reported the chairman of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Sorong Raya Wahyudi and the chairman of the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI) Andrew Surapati to the Aimas Police, Sorong Regency, on Saturday, April 23, 2022. The report was made on suspicion of defamation, spreading fake news, as well as alleged violations of the ITE Law.
Local media reported that the report to the police was made by PPWI because PPWI members did not accept the annexation of their membership cards by IJTI and PWI. PPWI also does not accept being called an illegal organization, not recognized by the state and the Press Council. The phrase was allegedly mentioned by IJTI, on a video in the report.
According to PPWI representative Riswandy Pandjaitan, the legality of an institution is ratified by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, not by the Press Council. In addition, PPWI considers that their KTA annexation is a form of action that violates the law.