An Indonesian TikToker, Ms Thalisa, has been sentenced to two years and ten months in prison for blasphemy. During a livestream, she made a comment about Jesus Christ, telling him to get a haircut while speaking to his image on her phone.
A court in Medan, Sumatra, found Ms Thalisa guilty of spreading hatred under the online hate speech law. The court ruled that her comment could disrupt public order and religious harmony.
Several Christian groups in Indonesia filed police complaints against Ms Thalisa for blasphemy, leading to her conviction.
She was however given seven days to appeal.
Follwoing her conviction, a human rights body, Amnesty International Indonesia has condemned the sentencing, calling it a “shocking attack on her freedom of expression.”
The organization’s executive director, Usman Hamid, appealed for a revocation of the sentence stating that the Indonesian authorities should not use the Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law to punish people for comments made on social media.
Hamid emphasized that while Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred, Ms Thalisa’s comment did not reach that mangnitude. He called for the Indonesian authorities to overturn Ms Thalisa’s conviction and ensure her immediate release from custody.
He said ““While Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, Ratu Thalisa’s speech act does not reach that threshold.”
The Indonesian government has been urged to revise the EIT law, which criminalizes alleged immorality, defamation, and hate speech. Meanwhile Ms Thalisa’s prosecutors had demanded a sentence of more than four years, and have appealed to Monday’s verdict.
Indonesia is a country with a diverse population, including religious minorities like Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus. However, the majority of Indonesians are Muslim, and most blasphemy cases involve religious minorities accused of insulting Islam.
Indonesia continues to stand religious hate speeches that incites discrimination, hostility, or violence.
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