TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - UN human rights experts have urged the Indonesian government to review and repeal its criminalization of blasphemy after recent conviction of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok.
“Criminal laws that penalize blasphemy represent an unlawful restriction on freedom of expression, and disproportionately target persons belonging to religious minorities or traditional religions, non-believers and political dissidents,” the UN experts say in a press release yesterday, May 22.
The experts include Special Rapporteurs on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, and on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye; and the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas.
Read: Ahok Withdraws Appeal against Jail Sentence for Blasphemy
They urge the government ‘to overturn Mr. Purnama’s sentence on appeal or to extend to him whatever form of clemency may be available under Indonesian law so that he may be released from prison immediately’. The experts have expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to speak out against hate speech by the leaders of anti-Ahok protests.
“This case also illustrates that the existence of blasphemy law can be used to justify intolerance and hate speech,” they said. They also see that blasphemy law is not compatible with a democratic society like Indonesia and ‘harms religious pluralism in the country’.
They said that the blasphemy sentence and jailing of Ahok have undermined the freedom religion and freedom of speech in Indonesia.
Ahok has been sentenced to two years in jail for blasphemy following his remarks on a Quranic verse last year.
DIKO OKTARA
