An online media journalist named Erfandi was assaulted by a number of TNI members at the Kalinget Harbor Post, Sumenep, East Java. The journalist was beaten by TNI members while reporting at the location.

Quoted from Antara, the persecution incident occurred on Saturday (29/7/2023) at around 22.00 WIB at the Kalianget Port Security Post. At that time, Erfandi was about to report on a three-wheeled motorcycle carrying fuel out of a gas station in Kalianget to Kalianget Harbor.

"At that time, I didn't have time for an interview, and only asked the security guard at the port post about the fuel being transported by a tricycle. He said the fuel belonged to the Navy," Erfandi said.

Shortly afterwards, the guard called three people, who then unceremoniously beat Erfandi. There was no interview. There was no time to explain.

The incident was recorded on video with a duration of 1:26:22 (1 hour 26 minutes 22 seconds). One of the perpetrators' faces appears quite bright. So is the look of the gunman pointing a gun at Erfandi.

"I hope what I experienced is the last. Hopefully no more journalists will be victims of violence like what I experienced," he said.

Erfandi was ganged up on by a number of TNI members until he was bruised, slammed, dragged, then a number of his belongings were confiscated such as wallets and cell phones. He was even forced to crawl on the ground.

For the incident, Batuporon Naval Base Commander Lieutenant Colonel Imam Ibnu Hajar apologized for the case of mistreatment by four members of the Navy to a journalist named Erfandi at the Kalianget Port Post on July 29, 2023.

"I, on behalf of Lieutenant Colonel Imam Ibnu Hajar as Commander of the Navy, sincerely apologize to fellow journalists for the incident that happened to Erfandi," he said in a recorded video statement received by the media in Pamekasan, East Java, Thursday (3/8/2023).

When delivering the apology, Imam Ibnu Hajar was accompanied by the journalist who was the victim of the persecution, Erfandi, and the victim's legal counsel, Sulaisi Abdurrazak.

In addition to delivering an apology, Danlanal Imam Ibnu Hajar also promised to fulfill the demands of the victim and the victim's lawyer, namely mutating the four members of the Navy who mistreated the journalist Erfandi.

"We will also fulfill the demands to transfer them out of Madura," Imam said in a 1-minute 19-second video recording.

He expressed his gratitude to the Commander of Kodim 0827 Sumenep Lieutenant Colonel Czi Donny Pramudya Mahard for helping mediate the case between the Navy and the Sumenep journalist.

The demand to mutate four members of the Navy who served in Kalianget, Sumenep and persecute the Sumenep journalist is one of the three points of demands conveyed by the victim during the media.

Other demands asked the four Navy personnel who were persecuting journalists to apologize publicly and face to face with the victims, as well as process their laws in accordance with the provisions in military institutions.

"However, a direct apology by the four Navy personnel cannot be done because they are no longer in Sumenep after being withdrawn by the unit to Batuporon for punishment. The apology by Danlanal Batuporon Lieutenant Colonel Imam Ibnu Hajar in the video also represents the four members," said Erfandi's legal counsel, Sulaisi Abdurrazak, contacted by telephone from Pamekasan on Thursday night.