Jakarta: Social Media influencer, Lina Mukherjee, was sentenced to two years in prison and slapped with a hefty fine by an Indonesian court for reciting Islamic prayers before eating pork in a video.
The district court in Palembang, South Sumatra Tuesday found Lina Mukherjee, 33, guilty of "spreading information aimed at inciting hatred against religious individuals and specific groups", according to The Jakarta Post.
In a widely criticised viral TikTok video, Lina Mukherjee, who identifies herself a Muslim, said Tasmiyah or Bismillah before eating pork.
Bismillah is the Arabic phrase meaning "In the name of Allah" that Muslims recite before consuming food or drinking water.
The video that surfaced in March this year was viewed by millions.
Lina Mukherjee was booked in March after a complaint was lodged against her. She was charged under Article 28, paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 45, paragraph (2) of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law and Article 156, letter (a) of the Indonesian Criminal Code.
During the court hearing, the prosecutor argued that Mukherjee has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt to have intentionally and without justification disseminated information that caused turmoil in society.
Mukherjee’s attorney, Supendi, expressed objection to the prosecution’s demand for thr jail term and a fine of Rp250 million as she had apologised.
“Our client has already apologised. So the punishment should be less severe. We also object to the Rp250 million fine demanded by the prosecutor,” he said.
The court however rejected the defense argument and sent Lina to jail. Lina has also been fined Rp250 million (250 million rupiah equivalent to $16,200). Her jail term would be extended by three months if it was not paid, AFP reported.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
