BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR – Mediation in a civil lawsuit worth IDR 25 billion filed by lawyer Togar Situmorang against four Bali-based media companies has ended without agreement, with the defendants rejecting the demands submitted during the mediation process.

The case will proceed to a substantive examination at the Denpasar District Court.

The mediation in Case No. 958/Pdt.G/2026/PN Dps was held at the Cakra Courtroom of the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday (Aug. 4, 2026), with Judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima, S.H., M.H., serving as mediator. The closed-door mediation lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Situmorang filed the lawsuit against PT Bali Intermedia Digital, PT Artha Media Fajar Bali Utama Press, PT Bali Warta Kencana, and PT Mangupura Inter Media.

Dozens of journalists also gathered at the Denpasar District Court wearing white shirts as a show of solidarity with press freedom and to support the media companies named as defendants.

Coordinator of the defendants’ legal team, I Made “Ariel” Suardana, said the defendants rejected all demands contained in the plaintiff’s mediation summary.

According to Ariel, the material presented by the plaintiff during mediation did not offer an alternative settlement but instead repeated demands already stated in the lawsuit.

“We reject all of those demands. There can be no settlement,” Ariel said after the mediation.

He said three main demands remained on the table: payment of IDR 25 billion in damages, an obligation to publish clarification and an apology, and a request for the removal or “take down” of news reports related to the dispute.

“If the content is exactly the same as the lawsuit, then what is there to settle?” he said.

Despite the defendants’ rejection, the mediator instructed them to submit a written response to the mediation summary. The response was part of the mediation procedure stipulated under Supreme Court Regulation (PERMA) No. 1 of 2016.

Another member of the defendants’ legal team, I Wayan Sedana, said they had prepared a special power of attorney for the mediation process.

“The special power of attorney for mediation has been prepared in accordance with PERMA. It includes the authority to prepare a summary, provide responses, and accept or reject proposals,” Sedana said.

For the defendants, the case is not merely about the IDR 25 billion claim. They argue that a substantial damages claim accompanied by a demand to remove news reports could place additional pressure on journalistic work.

Ignatius Radhite, a lawyer with the Bali Legal Aid Institute (LBH Bali) who is part of the Bali Journalists Solidarity (SJB) legal team, described the lawsuit as having characteristics of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP).

“This is not merely about the four media companies named as defendants. It concerns the interests of the entire press community,” Radhite said.

He said the legal proceedings should become an opportunity to strengthen protections for press freedom rather than create a chilling effect on media organizations and journalists carrying out their social-control function.

Meanwhile, lawyer Jody Riyadi Kunto, representing Togar Situmorang, rejected claims that his client had closed the door to a settlement.

Jody said the plaintiff attended the mediation with his client and directly submitted the mediation summary to the mediator. He said the summary reflected his client’s demands concerning losses allegedly caused by the publications.

“We attended in full with the principal to open the door to a broad settlement. The settlement path and demands we proposed are clearly and systematically stated in the mediation summary,” Jody said.

He maintained that the demands were based on legal arguments relied upon by the plaintiff, including allegations concerning news reports that the plaintiff claims had been deemed to violate the Journalistic Code of Ethics by the Press Council.

Jody also questioned the defendants’ representation during the mediation. He claimed that the defendants were represented only by deputy directors and editors-in-chief, while the directors of the respective companies were not present as principals.

“We also regret the presence of symbols that we believe indicate an attempt to shape public opinion in what we suspect was a provocative manner,” he said.

Jody argued that such actions were unnecessary because filing a lawsuit is a legal right available to citizens who believe they have suffered losses.

Meanwhile, assistant lawyer Agus Adi Setyawan stressed that, according to the plaintiff’s side, the lawsuit was not intended to suppress press freedom.

“The legal action taken by the plaintiff is in no way intended to obstruct, intervene in, or suppress press freedom,” Agus said.

According to Agus, the lawsuit is a legal effort to examine news reports that the plaintiff considers problematic and to serve as a warning to parties allegedly failing to carry out journalistic duties in accordance with applicable rules and professional ethics.

With mediation ending without a settlement, Case No. 958/Pdt.G/2026/PN Dps will proceed beyond the mediation stage. Once the mediation administration is completed, the case will enter the substantive examination phase at the Denpasar District Court.

For the defendants, the next stage of the trial will provide an opportunity to openly test the legal basis of the IDR 25 billion claim through judicial proceedings. For the plaintiff, the lawsuit is being pursued as a constitutional legal avenue to seek remedies for rights they claim were harmed by the publications.

The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2026.