Indonesian Atheist Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Prison

Posted on Jun 14, 2012

Alexander Aan, an Indonesian civil servant, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and fined more than $10,000 for posting “there is no God” on Facebook. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of three and a half years, charging him with violation of the country’s Internet laws and blasphemy. According to the chief editor of The Jakarta Post, the Indonesian constitution guarantees freedom of religion but also mandates that Indonesians have a religion, making atheism illegal.—CN

Al Jazeera:
An Indonesian man has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail and fined $10,598 for professing his atheism on the internet, Al Jazeera has reported.

Alexander Aan, a West Sumatran civil servant, was sentenced in court on Thursday with blasphemy and violating internet laws.

Read more from Al Jazeera or the Jakarta Globe.

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