TikToker Sentenced in Indonesia for Blasphemy Over Haircut Comment

Ratu Thalisa, a transgender TikToker, is sentenced for allegedly blaspheming Christianity during a livestream, igniting controversy over Indonesia's laws on hate speech and religious expression.

An Indonesian TikToker, Ratu Thalisa, has been sentenced to two years and ten months in prison after making remarks to a picture of Jesus during a live stream, in which she responded humorously to a comment about her hairstyle. The verdict, delivered by a court in Medan, Sumatra, found her guilty of spreading hatred under Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) Law, which has faced criticism for its ambiguous definitions of hate speech and blasphemy.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have swiftly condemned the ruling, questioning the validity of the charges levied against Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman who boasts over 442,000 followers on TikTok. The court's ruling, influenced by complaints from Christian groups, emphasizes potential disruptions to "public order" and "religious harmony." Critics argue that this case exemplifies the perilous intersection of free expression and religious sensitivity in Indonesia, where a majority of the population practices Islam, while religious minorities face stringent scrutiny.

Amnesty International's Indonesian Executive Director, Usman Hamid, urged authorities to reconsider their stance, arguing that while incitement of religious hatred must be curtailed, Thalisa's comments did not constitute such an incitement. He called for a reevaluation of the EIT Law, claiming that it poses a threat to freedoms of speech and expression.

This incident is not isolated; the application of the EIT Law has seen numerous individuals charged for speaking out, particularly those from religious minorities. Previous cases have included a Muslim woman imprisoned for blasphemy against Islam and another TikToker detained for a seemingly innocuous quiz about animals. The enforcement of the EIT Law has predominantly targeted expressions deemed offensive to Islam, yet Thalisa's case introduces a rare instance of a Muslim accused of hate speech toward Christianity.

Prosecutors had originally sought a longer sentence for Thalisa, indicating a tightening grip on legal consequences for online speech in Indonesia. As her defense team prepares to appeal the decision, the case continues to stoke debates over the balance between protecting religious sentiments and upholding principles of free expression under Indonesia's evolving digital landscape.