Indonesian Pastor Sentenced to Two Years Under Blasphemy Laws

A court in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, has sentenced 31-year-old pastor Dedi Saputra to two years in prison for violating the nation’s blasphemy and hate speech laws. Saputra, a former Muslim who led a small congregation in West Kalimantan, has been in detention since his arrest in February. While prosecutors had requested a four-year sentence, the judges ultimately imposed a two-year term, which includes time already served.

The legal proceedings were initiated following a police report filed in November by the chair of the Aceh regional board of the Indonesian Islamic Student organization. The charges stemmed from a TikTok video in which Saputra discussed the marital history of the Prophet Muhammad. The video was later edited and re-uploaded by another individual, who included supplementary text from a magazine article detailing the Prophet’s marriages. The court ruled that Saputra’s comments constituted a criminal offense under Indonesia’s updated penal code.