Pastor Dedi Saputra sentenced to two years for blasphemy in Indonesia

Dedi Saputra, a 31-year-old Christian pastor and former Muslim from Aceh, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Banda Aceh District Court for blasphemy and disseminating hate speech. The verdict, delivered on July 10, follows Saputra's arrest in February 2026 after he posted videos on TikTok in October 2025.

The court found that Saputra's content, which reportedly discussed the prophet Muhammad, caused unrest in the Aceh province, a region governed by strict Sharia law. The presiding judge, Fauzi, stated that the defendant's actions violated the Indonesian Criminal Code and contravened principles of interfaith tolerance.

While the two-year sentence is half of the four-year term requested by public prosecutors, there are concerns that authorities may appeal for a longer sentence. Saputra, who resides in West Kalimantan, was tried in Aceh because the court determined his social media content incited unrest within that specific region.