Fact Check: Was UGM Rector Arrested Over Jokowi's Alleged Fake Diploma?

August 16, 2026 | 01:30 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of posts on YouTube [archive] and Facebook claim that Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Rector Ova Emilia was arrested in connection with allegations of a fake diploma held by former President Joko Widodo. These posts also claim that the UGM campus was sealed off. This narrative spread in early August 2026, after the State Administrative Court (PTUN) rejected UGM’s appeal and ruled that copies of Jokowi’s diploma and academic transcripts were public information. Is it true that UGM Rector Ova Emilia was arrested and that the campus was sealed off?

FACT CHECK

Tempo’s Fact Check Team verified this narrative through interviews, image analysis, and confirmation from credible sources. The results show that neither the UGM Rector was arrested nor was the campus in Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta, sealed off. UGM Spokesperson I Made Andi Arsana denied the claims regarding Ova Emilia’s arrest and the campus seal-off.

“That information is not true,” Andi said when contacted by Tempo on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Activities at UGM are proceeding as usual. The campus is currently holding orientation for 11,099 new students.

Manipulated Image

The content's thumbnail image shows two female police officers flanking a female detainee wearing an orange vest. A comparison reveals that the detainee's facial features differ from those of Ova Emilia. Tempo also identified irregularities in the officers' fingers, noting that they appeared misshapen, floating, or vanishing.

Detection using the AI scanning tool Hive Moderation confirmed the anomaly. The image of Ova Emilia was found to contain 92.3 percent AI-generated elements.

Content of the Administrative Court (PTUN) Ruling

The State Administrative Court (PTUN) rejected UGM’s appeal on July 30, 2026. The judge upheld the decision of the Central Information Commission (KIP), which declared that copies of the 7th Indonesian President’s diploma and academic transcript constituted public information. This lawsuit originated from a civic group known as Bonjowi (Bongkar Ijazah Jokowi or "Expose Jokowi's Diploma"), which questioned the authenticity of the bachelor's degree diploma issued to Jokowi by UGM.

The KIP partially granted the request, declaring seven of the eight documents sought—including the academic transcript and diploma copies—to be public information. However, the request to present the original diploma was denied. UGM appealed to the PTUN, refusing to disclose the documents on the grounds of complying with Law Number 27 of 2022 concerning Personal Data Protection.

CONCLUSION

Tempo’s verification concludes that the narrative claiming UGM was sealed off and its rector dismissed is false. UGM was not sealed off, and Rector Ova Emilia was not arrested. The circulating photo is an AI-fabrication. Campus activities continue to operate normally.

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