REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Spokesperson of Jakarta Metro Police Commissioner Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono stated cleric Alfian Tanjung has been detained since Monday. The police have named him as suspect in the case of hate speech. He accused there were communists in the palace. 

"We have detained him and there was a report to Jakarta Metro Police," said Argo to the reporters on Wednesday.

Argo said cleric Alfian was detained at Jakarta Metro Police headquarter. Cleric Alfian status was upgraded from reported to suspect after being questioned on Monday. The police have also questioned some witnesses.

The police claimed they have adequate evidence to name cleric Alfian as suspect. Cleric Alfian who is also the observer of communist movenet in Indonesia was accused to voiolate Article 156 of the Criminal Code and  Article 16 of Law Number 2008 concerning the elimination of racial and ethnic discrimination. And article 45A paragraph (2) jo Article 28 paragraph (2) of Law No. 19 of 2016 on information and electronic transactions (ITE).

Cleric Alfian was reported to the police related to his speech at Masjid Jami' Said, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta on Saturday (October 1, 2016) at around 20:00 pm. He accused the palace has been controlled by a number of people affiliated with the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI).

The video of his speech then went viral in Youtube. In the video titled 'Alfian Tanjung: Istana Negara Jadi Sarang PKI Sejak Mei 2016' (Alfian Tanjung: The palace has been PKI's den since May, 2016), Alfian said, "Cool isn't it? The State Palace has been the PKI's den since May 2016. Until when? I don't know that."

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