Indonesian Pastor Sentenced to Two Years Under Blasphemy Law

On July 10, 2026, the Banda Aceh Court sentenced Pastor Dedi Saputra to two years in prison for violating Indonesia’s blasphemy and hate speech laws. The 31-year-old pastor, a convert from Islam originally from Aceh, was arrested in February following a complaint filed in November 2025 by the chair of the Aceh regional board of the Indonesian Islamic Student organization. The prosecution had initially requested a four-year sentence.

The legal proceedings stemmed from a video posted on the pastor’s TikTok account, in which he discussed the marital history of the Prophet Muhammad. The content was later edited and re-uploaded by another individual, incorporating additional commentary regarding the Prophet's marriages. The court ruled that the statements constituted a criminal offense under the nation's updated criminal code. The two-year sentence includes the time Saputra has already served in detention since his arrest.