Blasphemy or Free Speech? Indonesian TikToker’s Prison Sentence Over Jesus Remark Sparks Debate

An Indonesian TikToker has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison after being found guilty of spreading hate speech against Christianity by suggesting Jesus should cut his hair. 

Ratu Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman with nearly 450,000 followers on TikTok, was convicted by a court in North Sumatra under Indonesia’s strict Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law. 

According to Amnesty International and local media reports, she was ordered to pay a fine of approximately $6,200 in addition to her prison term. 

The controversy began on Oct. 2, 2024, during a live broadcast in which Thalisa, known online as Ratu Entok, responded to a viewer’s suggestion that she cut her hair to appear more masculine. 

Holding up an image of Jesus Christ, she said, “You should not look like a woman. You should cut your hair so that you will look like his father.” 

Her remarks led five Christian groups to file blasphemy complaints with Indonesian police, resulting in her arrest on Oct. 8. 

The court ruled that her comments disrupted "public order" and "religious harmony," justifying her conviction under the EIT law. 

Human Rights Concerns Over Indonesia’s Blasphemy Laws 

Rights activists have condemned the ruling as a violation of freedom of expression. Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, called the sentence "a shocking attack" and argued that the EIT law is increasingly used to suppress social media speech. 

“While Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred that incites discrimination, hostility, or violence, Ratu Thalisa’s comments do not meet that threshold,” Hamid said. 

He urged authorities to overturn her conviction and reform the EIT law’s broad provisions on defamation, immorality, and hate speech. 

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has seen a rise in religious conservatism, with blasphemy laws increasingly used against religious minorities and those accused of insulting Islam.

From 2019 to 2024, at least 560 people were prosecuted under the EIT law for defamation and hate speech, according to Amnesty International. 

Critics warn that Indonesia’s blasphemy laws are being “weaponized” to target individuals based on religious beliefs and social status, threatening free speech in the country.