A TikTok influencer from Indonesia, Ratu Thalisa, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for allegedly making blasphemous comments during a live stream. The incident occurred when Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman with over 442,000 followers, responded to a comment suggesting she cut her hair to appear more masculine. In her response, Thalisa humorously spoke to a picture of Jesus on her phone, telling him to get a haircut.

On Monday, a Medan court in Sumatra found Thalisa guilty of spreading hatred under Indonesia’s controversial online hate speech laws, sentencing her to two years and ten months in prison. The court claimed her remarks could disturb public order and religious harmony, ultimately charging her with blasphemy. This ruling followed complaints from several Christian groups, who accused Thalisa of offending their faith.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have strongly criticized the verdict, calling it a severe infringement on Thalisa’s freedom of expression. Usman Hamid, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, stated that Thalisa’s comments did not meet the threshold for inciting discrimination or hostility, and urged the Indonesian authorities to reverse her conviction.

The case has also highlighted the controversial Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) Law, first introduced in 2008 and amended in 2016 to address online defamation. While intended to protect individuals in digital spaces, the law has been widely criticized by rights groups for its potential to stifle free speech. According to Amnesty International, over 500 individuals have been charged under this law for expressing themselves online between 2019 and 2024, with many facing accusations related to defamation and hate speech.

Thalisa’s case, in which a Muslim individual is accused of blasphemy against Christianity, is relatively rare in Indonesia, where violations of the EIT Law often involve religious minorities allegedly insulting Islam. In a similar vein, other TikTok users have also faced legal action for expressing controversial opinions related to religion.

Thalisa’s legal team has seven days to appeal the court’s decision. Prosecutors had initially sought a sentence of over four years for her. The case has sparked further debate about the balance between protecting religious sensitivities and safeguarding free speech in Indonesia.