Religious leaders sentenced to prison in Vietnam and Indonesia

Religious leaders in Vietnam and Indonesia have received prison sentences following legal actions related to their faith and public statements.

In Vietnam, Pastor B’Kun was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, followed by four years of probation, on charges of “undermining the national unity policy”. B’Kun, who leads an unregistered house church for tribal believers, was arrested in October 2025. He maintained that his congregation sought only to worship freely and was not involved in political affairs. The case has raised concerns regarding the treatment of ethnic minority Christians in the Central Highlands.

In Indonesia, Pastor Dedi Saputra was sentenced to two years in prison by the Banda Aceh District Court for blasphemy and hate speech. The charges stemmed from comments made on TikTok regarding the prophet Muhammad. While his legal team argued no hateful remarks were intended, the court ruled his actions caused unrest in the Aceh region. The case has drawn attention from human rights groups due to the legal pressures faced by Christian converts in the country.