JAKARTA, Legal Literacy – Minister of Law and Human Rights, Supratman Andi Agtas, affirmed the citizenship status of an Indonesian citizen (WNI) who joins the military service of another country. According to him, the Indonesian citizen will automatically lose their citizenship, not through a revocation process by the state. This statement was made in response to the emergence of the case of Satria Arta Kumbara, a former member of the Indonesian Navy, who was reported to have become a mercenary for Russia and now expresses regret and a desire to return to being an Indonesian citizen.
“I emphasize, this is not a process of revoking citizenship. The person concerned will automatically lose their citizenship if proven to be a foreign soldier, because that is a direct violation of our Citizenship Law,” explained Minister Supratman in his press statement on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
Minister Supratman explained that the legal basis for this is very clear and solid, namely Law Number 12 of 2006 concerning Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia. Specifically, he referred to Article 23 letter (d) which states that an Indonesian citizen loses their citizenship if "enters the service of a foreign army without prior permission from the President." In addition, letter (e) in the same article also reinforces this provision, where citizenship is lost if someone "voluntarily enters the service of a foreign country, whose position in such service in Indonesia according to the provisions of laws and regulations can only be held by Indonesian Citizens." The mechanism for losing citizenship, continued Supratman, is further reinforced by Government Regulation (PP) Number 2 of 2007, specifically in Article 31, which regulates the procedures for losing citizenship. Even though the polemic regarding Satria Arta Kumbara has emerged, Supratman ensures that until now the Ministry of Law and Human Rights has not received an official report regarding his status, either from within the country or from Indonesian representatives abroad. If it is later proven that Satria did join the Russian military, then the legal consequences are certain.
"If proven, he automatically loses his citizenship. If the person concerned wants to become an Indonesian citizen again, then he must take the path that has been regulated," said Supratman.
That path is to submit an application for citizenship (pure naturalization) to the President through the Minister of Law and Human Rights, in accordance with the procedures contained in the Citizenship Law Number 12 of 2006 and Government Regulation Number 2 of 2007.