A Muslim woman has been sentenced to two years in prison under Indonesia’s blasphemy law over a video she shared on TikTok which showed her reciting an Islamic prayer before trying out pork while visiting the tourist island of Bali.
Lina Lutfiawati, known as Lina Mukherjee on social media, was tried on Tuesday in the Palembang district court on Sumatra island.
The 33-year-old was found guilty of “spreading information aimed at inciting hatred against religious individuals and specific groups,” court documents read.
In addition to her two-year prison sentence, the court fined her $16,245 (250,000,000 Indonesian rupiah), a small fortune in a country where the annual per capita wage is around $4,300. Her jail term could be extended by three months if she does not pay the fine, the court added.
Speaking to reporters outside court on Tuesday after the trial, Mukherjee expressed shock at the sentence.
“I know I was wrong but I really did not expect this punishment,” she said, in comments carried by CNN affiliate, CNN Indonesia. It is possible that she will file an appeal, CNN Indonesia added.
Blasphemy cases on the rise
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim nation, where 231 million people, at least 93% of its adult population, identify as Muslim.
Source: cnn.com
