Ratu Thalisa, a Muslim transgender TikTok influencer with over 442,000 followers, was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for comments she made during a livestream. Responding to a comment telling her to cut her hair, Thalisa joked about Jesus needing a haircut. This remark led to accusations of blasphemy from Christian groups, ultimately resulting in a conviction for spreading hatred under Indonesia’s controversial Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) Law.
The court ruling has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, who called the verdict a violation of Thalisa’s freedom of expression. Despite Thalisa’s apology, the court found her comments could disrupt public order and religious harmony. The case has ignited concerns over the EIT law’s impact on free speech in Indonesia, with calls for its revision to protect individual rights online.
