An Indonesian TikToker, Ratu Thalisa, has been handed a nearly three-year prison sentence for a comment made during a livestream. Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman with over 442,000 TikTok followers, was responding to a viewer's suggestion that she cut her hair to appear more masculine. In her response, she jokingly told a picture of Jesus on her phone to get a haircut.
The court in Medan, Sumatra, found Thalisa guilty of spreading hatred and disrupting public order and religious harmony. Multiple Christian groups had filed complaints against her, leading to the charges.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned the sentence, calling it an attack on Thalisa's freedom of expression. Amnesty International's Executive Director, Usman Hamid, urged Indonesian authorities to overturn the conviction and release Thalisa immediately.
The case has sparked concerns about Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) Law, which has been criticized for its potential threat to freedom of expression. At least 560 people have been charged under the law between 2019 and 2024, with 421 convicted.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2x5kn7njlo