Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono summoned by police over Netflix show
Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono was summoned by police on Feb 6, 2026, over what they called public complaints about the material he used in his stand-up act in his Netflix special. (Image: Netflix website)
JAKARTA: An Indonesian comedian who became the first from his country to air a special on Netflix was called in for questioning on Friday (Feb 6) after police said they had received complaints that some of the material in the show was insulting and blasphemous.
Pandji Pragiwaksono came out of Jakarta's police headquarters on Friday evening about seven hours after going in. Police said he had been summoned but did not name him as a suspect in any offence, or mention any formal charges.
"I tried to answer the police's questions as best as I could and I don't think I had committed religious blasphemy," he told reporters.
"I will just follow the legal process," he added.
Pandji Pragiwaksono's show appeared on Netflix on Dec 27 and included satirical comments on Indonesian politics and democracy, including the 2024 election.
The election was won by former military general Prabowo Subianto, who has now become president of the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
Pragiwaksono also criticised Indonesia's two largest Muslim organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, for receiving a mining concession from the government when Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, was still president.
Both denied any wrongdoing at the time and said the concessions would improve the welfare of their members.
The nearly two-and-a-half-hour show has divided opinion in Indonesia. Some have accused the comedian of insulting religious entities and state institutions, while democracy activists have defended him.
"Yes, today we are clarifying several things based on five police reports," Jakarta police spokesman Andaru Rahutomo said.
Two of the five police reports were filed by people who said they were members of the youth wings of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, and said that the comedian had committed blasphemy and defamed their organisations, police said.
Both organisations said they had no links to the individuals listed on the police complaint.
