Medan Bisnis journalist, Jhonni Sitompul, in the Serdang Bedagai (Sergai) district in North Sumatra, was reported to the police regarding the electronic information and transaction Law (ITE). Jhonni was reported by the regional secretary of the Serdang Bedagai regency government, Faisal Hasrimy, for writing criticism on his facebook account, which was seen as an attempt to damage the Hasrimy's good name.
The article, which was critical of the Serdang Bedagai regional secretary, was written by Jhonni commenting on the status of the serdang Bedagai regency government's facebook account regarding the news "Sergai has Off-Road Potential".
Comment on this status, Jhonni then wrote his comment "Indeed it is extraordinary that the secretary of state had forged the signature of the chairman of the GAYO LUES DPRD, to popularize Sergai district, besides being known as a flood area it is also an offroad place for the Adhyaksa corporation, really there is no sense of crisis”.
The comment uses the journalist's personal facebook account written on December 13, 2022. Then Jhonni Sitompul received news from North Sumatra police investigators that he was reported by Faisal Hasrimy. When the information was received, on Saturday, January 7 2023, the victim did not have certainty regarding what the report.
On the same day, the victim received an invitation letter for clarification by the North Sumatra Police. He would attend an invitation to request clarification, on Tuesday 10 January 2023 at the North Sumatra Police. Because the victim had activities that day, he could not come to fulfill the request for clarification.
Then on Thursday, January 19 2023, Jhonni attended a request for clarification accompanied by his attorneys, Binsar Siringo Ringo and Alamsyah, Chairperson of Peradi Deli Serdang at the North Sumatra police. In this clarification, Jhonni explained that his comments on facebook did not point to the Faisal Hasrimy. Examination of the clarification process that day was carried out for 5 hours.
Some time ago, Tuesday 7 February 2023 to be precise, a second letter from the North Sumatra Police with the aim of mediation was sent to Jhoni Sitompul. According to Jhonni, the comments he wrote were not directed at Faisal Hasrimy, because according to him the regional secretary could have quite a broad meaning. AJI Medan still accompanying Jhonni's advocacy.