Ratu Thalisa, a popular TikToker, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after telling an image of Jesus to cut his hair during a livestream, prompting significant backlash from human rights organizations.
Indonesian TikToker Receives Jail Sentence Over Blasphemy Charges
Indonesian TikToker Receives Jail Sentence Over Blasphemy Charges
An Indonesian divided over the enforcement of online speech laws and their implications for freedom of expression.
On Monday, a court in Medan, Sumatra, found Thalisa guilty under a contentious online hate-speech law, stating her remarks could disturb "public order" and "religious harmony." She received a sentence of two years and ten months in prison after several complaints by Christian groups for blasphemy. Human rights advocates, including Amnesty International, have condemned the ruling, arguing it is an infringement on Thalisa's freedom of expression and denouncing the misuse of Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law.
The situation began during her livestream where Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman with over 442,000 TikTok followers, responded to comments about her appearance. The court argued that her comments incited hatred, leading to the charges. Long criticized, the EIT Law has reportedly seen over 560 individuals prosecuted between 2019 and 2024, often for what they express online, with a disproportionate impact on accounts involving religious sensitivities.
Notably, Thalisa's case is distinct as it's a Muslim accused of hate speech against Christianity, a less common scenario in Indonesia, predominantly Muslim with a history of similar cases involving religious insults towards Islam. Following the verdict, prosecutors sought a harsher sentence over four years, but Thalisa has been granted seven days to appeal her conviction and the broader implications of the EIT law remain a point of contention in Indonesian society.
The situation began during her livestream where Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman with over 442,000 TikTok followers, responded to comments about her appearance. The court argued that her comments incited hatred, leading to the charges. Long criticized, the EIT Law has reportedly seen over 560 individuals prosecuted between 2019 and 2024, often for what they express online, with a disproportionate impact on accounts involving religious sensitivities.
Notably, Thalisa's case is distinct as it's a Muslim accused of hate speech against Christianity, a less common scenario in Indonesia, predominantly Muslim with a history of similar cases involving religious insults towards Islam. Following the verdict, prosecutors sought a harsher sentence over four years, but Thalisa has been granted seven days to appeal her conviction and the broader implications of the EIT law remain a point of contention in Indonesian society.
