jpnn.com, JAKARTA – Prominent Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono recently underwent questioning by the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim Polri) concerning allegations of insult and ethnically, religiously, racially, and inter-group (SARA) charged hate speech directed at the Toraja community. The examination, which saw Pragiwaksono appear as a witness, stems from a report filed by the Toraja Youth Alliance in late 2025.
The comedian confirmed his summons, stating, “I received a call concerning the Toraja case.” His questioning commenced at 10:30 AM Western Indonesian Time (WIB) in the Bareskrim Polri Building, Jakarta, on Monday. Pragiwaksono revealed that investigators from the Directorate of Cyber Crime (Dittipidsiber) subjected him to 48 questions, primarily focusing on the content of a video from one of his stand-up comedy performances.
Despite having previously issued a public apology for the controversial material, Pragiwaksono expressed his readiness to fully comply with the ongoing legal process. “An apology has actually been made, and it’s viewable by the public, but perhaps this is just a continuation of the report. I will simply follow the process,” he stated, reiterating his commitment to transparency.
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His legal counsel, Haris Azhar, clarified that this marked Pragiwaksono’s first appearance for questioning as a witness. Azhar added that while this was the second summons issued, Pragiwaksono had been unable to attend the initial call due to being out of the country at the time. “There have been two summonses. However, Pandji was not in Indonesia then,” Haris explained.
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In a separate development, Kombes Pol. Rizki Agung Prakoso, Head of Sub-directorate I, Dittipidsiber Bareskrim Polri, confirmed that the case against the comedian has now advanced to the full investigation stage. “That’s right, investigation,” he affirmed, indicating the seriousness with which authorities are treating the allegations.
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The original report against Pandji Pragiwaksono was lodged by the Toraja Youth Alliance with Bareskrim Polri in November 2025. The alliance asserted that the stand-up comedy material performed by Pragiwaksono, which touched upon Toraja traditional funeral rites, was deeply demeaning and insulting to the dignity of the Toraja people. This incident underscores the sensitive nature of cultural commentary in public performance and its potential legal ramifications.
Summary
Prominent comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono recently underwent questioning by Bareskrim Polri concerning allegations of insult and SARA-charged hate speech directed at the Toraja community. He was subjected to 48 questions focused on content from one of his stand-up comedy performances. Despite having issued a public apology, Pragiwaksono stated his readiness to fully comply with the ongoing legal process.
The examination stems from a report filed by the Toraja Youth Alliance in late 2025, asserting that his material on Toraja traditional funeral rites was deeply demeaning. Authorities have confirmed that the case against the comedian has now advanced to the full investigation stage. This incident underscores the sensitive nature of cultural commentary in public performance.