The action comes two days after executives from Metro TV and broadsheet Media Indonesia filed a lawsuit and police complaint against Dipo over his recent call for an advertising boycott of certain news organizations.

“We have no problem with the Media Group’s legal action,” Dipo’s lawyer, Amir Syamsuddin, told reporters at the Press Council’s office. “But we expect that while legal processes are under way, Metro TV will stop using their media to create a [false] public opinion of Dipo.”

The lawyer explained that for the past five days, Metro TV had continually run in its news ticker a sentence saying Dipo Alam calls for boycott of the Indonesian press.

“It is not fair that Metro TV keeps running the same text over these last five days without covering both sides. They have abused their authority for building a public opinion about Dipo Alam. Therefore we are only reporting Metro TV,” he said.

“We are not reporting TV One or Media Indonesia because they are not taking the same action as Metro TV in building a public opinion.”

Amir said he hoped the press council would remain impartial during the handling the case.

“We hope everything will be solved properly as Metro TV has attack an Indonesian citizen, Dipo Alam, by using their institution to control public opinion,” he said. “We won’t explain the details [of the report] until the press council takes a look at it.”