Jokowi Shows Original Diplomas in Court, Says 1985 UGM Photo Is His Own
Former President Joko Widodo displayed his original diplomas from elementary school through university in a Jakarta courtroom on Thursday, testifying that the photograph on his 1985 bachelor’s degree from Universitas Gadjah Mada is his own — not the face of another man, as former minister Roy Suryo had claimed, detikNews reported.
Jokowi appeared as the reporting witness at the East Jakarta District Court on Thursday (5/11/2026) in the defamation trial against Roy Suryo, who is accused of spreading false claims about the authenticity of Jokowi’s degree. After asking the judges for permission, Jokowi turned and held his diplomas up to the courtroom visitors and media, Kompas reported.
A 1985 Timeline: Thesis, Graduation, and the Diploma Itself
Under questioning from prosecutors, Jokowi laid out the dates of his final year at UGM’s Faculty of Forestry. He said he defended his thesis on October 23, 1985, and graduated with all faculties of UGM on November 19, 1985, at the Purna Budaya Bulaksumur Hall in Yogyakarta, detikNews reported. Fourteen students from the Faculty of Forestry graduated that day, he said, naming several classmates including Hari Mulyono, Prono Jiwo and Johan Utama.
Presiden ke-7 RI Joko Widodo (Jokowi) menceritakan soal ujian skripsinya di Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) saat menjadi saksi dalam sidang kasus tuduhan ijazah palsu dengan terdakwa Roy Suryo di Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Timur (PN Jaktim), Kamis (5/11/2026). Dalam sidang, Jokowi… pic.twitter.com/Bs1w801Mql
When the prosecutor asked whose face appears in the diploma’s photo, Jokowi answered: his own. "Why would Dumatno Budi Utomo’s photo be put there," he said, according to detikNews.
From SD Negeri 111 Surakarta to Wood Technology Courses
Jokowi also recounted his full education history: SD Negeri 111 in Surakarta, SMP Negeri 1 Surakarta, SMA Negeri 6 Surakarta, and then the S-1 program at UGM’s Faculty of Forestry, CNN Indonesia reported. He explained that the faculty had no majors at the time, so students chose their own elective courses; he took many in wood technology, including Wood Structure and Properties, Wood Drying, Wood Preservation, Pulp and Paper, Plywood Industry, and Sawmilling.
He said he first saw Roy Suryo’s video alleging his degree was fake around March 26, 2025, and that the defamation had run since 2020 and continued through 2024 and into 2025, which is why he decided to file a legal report, MARINews reported. Jokowi also told the court he never gave Roy Suryo or anyone else permission to examine his diploma: when a busload of visitors once came to his home asking to see the original, he told them they had no authority and would only show it to police, prosecutors, or the court.
Roy Suryo Laughs as Diploma Is Shown; Courtroom Capped at 80
Kompas reported that Roy Suryo, seated nearby, was seen laughing broadly as Jokowi held up the diplomas. The East Jakarta District Court had limited attendance to 80 people because of the room’s capacity, court chairman Efendi said, according to AFU.id. Ahead of the hearing, AFU.id reported allegations that networks linked to former National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo — including the Garda Satya NKRI organization — were being mobilized around the courthouse, and security observer Selamat Ginting warned of the potential for clashes.
What Roy Suryo Is Charged With
Prosecutors charge Roy Suryo with defamation and electronic information violations under Article 433 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 441 paragraph (1) of the 2023 Criminal Code, with subsidiary charges under the ITE Law, detikNews and CNN Indonesia reported. The indictment was read on Thursday (17/9), and the case centers on Roy’s online posts questioning the validity of Jokowi’s UGM degree.
Jokowi Confirms Diploma Details and Class Size
When was Jokowi’s UGM diploma issued?
Jokowi testified the diploma was issued on November 5, 1985, with register number 1120, signed by Rector Te Jacob and Forestry Dean Soenardi Prawirohatmodjo, detikNews reported.
How many Forestry students graduated with Jokowi in 1985?
Jokowi said 14 students from the Faculty of Forestry took part in the November 19, 1985 graduation at UGM’s Purna Budaya Bulaksumur Hall in Yogyakarta.
Why is Roy Suryo on trial?
Roy Suryo is charged with defamation and ITE Law violations for spreading claims that Jokowi’s bachelor’s degree was fake, charges read at the East Jakarta District Court on September 17, 2026.
The hearing’s sharpest moment came when the 1985 diploma — the document at the center of years of online allegations — was held up in open court, and the man whose photo it carries said plainly that it was his.