An Indonesian court has sentenced Ratu Thalisa, a transgender TikTok influencer, to two years and 10 months in prison for online speech deemed blasphemous. The verdict, delivered by a court in Medan, Sumatra, follows her viral livestream, in which she jokingly told a digital image of Jesus to “get a haircut.”
Thalisa, a Muslim with over 442,000 TikTok followers, made the remark while responding to a comment urging her to cut her hair to look more masculine.
Prosecutors charged her under Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) Law, accusing her of spreading hatred and disturbing public order.
“Her words have the potential to disturb religious harmony,” the court stated. The ruling came after several Christian groups lodged police complaints, claiming her comments were offensive. Initially, prosecutors sought a sentence of more than four years but immediately appealed the court’s decision after Monday’s ruling.
Thalisa has seven days to appeal her conviction.
Human Rights Groups Condemn Verdict
Yet, the case has drawn strong criticism from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International.
“This is a shocking attack on Ratu Thalisa’s freedom of expression,” said Usman Hamid, Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director. “The Indonesian authorities should not use the EIT Law to punish people for comments made on social media.”
Hamid urged the government to overturn Thalisa’s conviction and reform the EIT Law, which has been widely criticized for restricting free speech.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has strict blasphemy laws. While most cases involve accusations against those allegedly insulting Islam, Thalisa’s case is unusual, as a Muslim was convicted for comments perceived as offensive to Christianity.
Growing Concerns Over EIT Law
Since its introduction in 2008, the EIT Law has been used to prosecute many individuals for online speech. Amnesty International reports that between 2019 and 2024, at least 560 people were charged under the law, with 421 convicted.
Other social media users have had similar blasphemy charges against them. In September 2023, a Muslim woman received a two-year prison sentence after posting a TikTok video where she said an Islamic phrase before eating pork. In 2024, another TikToker was arrested for asking children what kinds of animals could read the Quran.
Notwithstanding these criticisms from human rights groups, Indonesian authorities continue to use the law to prosecute individuals for religious or political speech.
Thalisa’s case has reignited debates about the balance between religious sensitivity and freedom of expression, even in Indonesia – a country with nearly 90% Muslim population.
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