TikTok Creator Sentenced to Prison in Indonesia for Blasphemy Over Haircut Comment

Ratu Thalisa, a popular Indonesian TikToker, faces nearly three years in prison for "spreading hatred" under a controversial law, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.

An Indonesian TikTok creator, Ratu Thalisa, has been handed a prison sentence of two years and ten months after engaging in a livestream where she humorously commented about Jesus, instructing a photo on her phone to "cut his hair." The court in Medan, Sumatra, found her guilty of violating an online hate-speech law, just days after Christian groups lodged complaints about her remarks claiming she disrupted "public order" and "religious harmony."

Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman boasting over 442,000 TikTok followers, made the statement in response to a comment suggesting she should alter her appearance to resemble a man. Her conviction has drawn immediate outrage from various human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, which denounced the ruling as a "shocking attack" on her right to free expression.

Usman Hamid, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, criticized the Indonesian government's application of the Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law, arguing it is improperly used to suppress free speech. He emphasized that while laws to prevent religious hatred are crucial, Thalisa's comments did not meet the threshold of inciting hatred or violence.

Demands for a repeal or at least substantial amendments to problematic sections of the EIT law have intensified from activists and legal experts, citing that the framework poses a significant threat to freedom of expression. Since the law's inception in 2008 and its subsequent amendment in 2016, numerous individuals—including social media influencers—have faced prosecution under its provisions, stretching from defamation to accusations of hate speech.

The statistics are alarming: between 2019 and 2024, at least 560 people faced charges under the EIT law related to their expression, with 421 being convicted. Similar cases highlight the law's disproportionate targeting of religious minorities, who have often been found guilty of insulting Islam. Thalisa's case, however, is somewhat unique as it involves a Muslim accused of hate speech against Christianity.

Previously, prosecutors sought a sentence exceeding four years, making Thalisa's legal battles far from over as she has been granted a seven-day window to appeal the judgment. In parallel incidents, a Muslim woman faced a two-year prison sentence for blasphemy towards Islam, while another TikToker was recently detained for asking children to identify animals that could "read the Quran." These mounting cases reflect an increasingly tense climate around issues of expression and religion in Indonesia.