 "Ratu Thalisa, a transgender woman with more than 442,000 TikTok followers, was convicted by a court in Medan City, Sumatra, on Monday for allegedly spreading hatred against Christianity. Image courtesy: X/@misstweet")
A TikToker in Indonesia has landed in hot soup after making a passing remark about Jesus Christ needing a haircut—an offhand joke that has now cost her nearly three years in prison.
Ratu Thalisa, a transgender woman with more than 442,000 TikTok followers, was convicted by a court in Medan City, Sumatra, on Monday for allegedly spreading hatred against Christianity. Justifying its verdict, the court said that her comments had the potential to disrupt “public order” and “religious harmony” in society, the BBC reports.
The ruling, however, has sparked condemnation from human rights groups, with Amnesty International demanding Thalisa’s immediate release.
But what exactly did she say? And why has her arrest led to such widespread outrage? Here’s a closer look.
The controversial remark
Thalisa, known online as Ratu Entok, was hosting a TikTok livestream on 2 October 2024 when a viewer suggested she should cut her hair to look more masculine.
In response, she held up a picture of Jesus Christ and said, “You should not look like a woman. You should cut your hair so that you will look like his father.”
Her comments quickly sparked backlash, with five Christian groups filing a complaint against her. Just four days later, she was arrested and charged with blasphemy and hate speech against a particular religion.
On Monday, a district court in Medan, North Sumatra, found her guilty of spreading hate speech against Christianity. The court argued that her remarks had the potential to disrupt “public order” and “religious harmony.”
As a result, the judges sentenced Thalisa to two years and ten months in prison. She was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000,000 IDR (Rs 5.30 lakh) for the offence.
‘Shocking attack’
Thalisa’s sentencing has sparked outrage among human rights groups, who have condemned it as an attack on her “freedom of expression” and an example of the controversial misuse of Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law.
Amnesty International Indonesia’s executive director, Usman Hamid, said, “This prison sentence is a shocking attack on Ratu Thalisa’s freedom of expression. The Indonesian authorities should not use the country’s Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law to punish people for comments made on social media.”
He added, “While Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, Ratu Thalisa’s speech act does not reach that threshold.”
Hamid urged authorities to overturn her conviction and ensure her immediate release from custody.
He also called for the repeal or substantial revision of the EIT law, describing some of its provisions as “problematic.”
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What is Indonesia’s controversial EIT law?
Originally introduced in 2008 and amended in 2016 to address online defamation, the EIT law was intended to protect individuals in digital spaces.
However, it has faced strong criticism from rights organisations, press groups, and legal experts, who argue that it threatens freedom of expression.
According to Amnesty International, at least 560 people were charged with violating the EIT law between 2019 and 2024 for expressing their views, with 421 of them convicted. Social media influencers have been among those targeted, often facing charges of defamation or hate speech.
In one high-profile case from September 2023, a Muslim woman was sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy after posting a viral TikTok video in which she recited an Islamic phrase before eating pork.
Similarly, in 2024, another TikToker was detained for blasphemy after posting a quiz that asked children what kind of animals could read the Quran, Amnesty International reported.
Indonesia is home to religious minorities, including Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus, but the majority of its population is Muslim.
However, Thalisa’s case, where a Muslim woman has been accused of hate speech against Christianity, is an unusual instance.
Prosecutors had initially sought a sentence of more than four years. After Monday’s verdict, they immediately filed an appeal, while Thalisa has been given seven days to challenge the ruling.
With input from agencies