Indonesia has deployed thousands of police and military personnel to provide security in Jakarta as tensions run high over a wiretapping scandal involving senior generals and allegations of unauthorized surveillance of top officials, including President Prabowo Subianto. The heightened security measures coincide with a trial involving former President Joko Widodo, who was called to testify in a defamation case unrelated to the wiretapping investigation.

Three senior generals have already been detained in connection with the wiretapping scandal, including Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who had been named chief of staff to President Prabowo Subianto last month. Listyo previously served as national police chief under Widodo, though the former president has not been implicated in the investigation.

The alleged unauthorized surveillance has raised concerns about the targeting of Cabinet officials, politicians, journalists, civil society leaders, and business executives. Retired police Gen. Oegroseno has called for investigators to examine all possible lines of command behind the wiretapping, including whether any directives originated from Widodo.

Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have warned that the wiretapping operation could constitute a serious human rights violation and be used to intimidate critics and weaken civil liberties in Indonesia’s young democracy.

The Criminal Investigation Agency has named a fourth suspect in the investigation, Slamet Uliandi, who allegedly approved a request to delete wiretap records to conceal evidence and erase traces of the operation. Authorities have alleged that the unauthorized wiretapping took place between 2025 and 2026, after Prabowo took office and while Listyo was still national police chief.

As tensions continue to rise in Jakarta, the deployment of thousands of troops has raised questions about the government’s response to the wiretapping scandal and its impact on the country’s political landscape. The presidential palace has described the wiretaps as an “act of treason” that endangered state interests, while the military has claimed that the deployment of troops is a “normal occurrence.”

The ongoing investigation and the trial involving former President Widodo have put a spotlight on the complex political dynamics in Indonesia and the challenges facing the country’s young democracy as it grapples with issues of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.