Scene: ‘Minang atheist’ appeals conviction
The Jakarta Post | National | Tue, October 23 2012, 9:07 AM
PADANG: Alexander Aan, 31, the South Sumatra civil servant who was sentenced to two-and-a-half-years’ imprisonment for defaming Islam after declaring himself an atheist on a social media website, has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
Alexander’s lawyer, Roni Saputra, said on Monday that his client wanted to overturn the decision handed down by the Muaro District Court, claiming that the court was unable to prove that Alexander had disseminated information that might trigger clashes within society.
“The ones who spread and caused hatred were the two witnesses who told about Alexander’s postings on Facebook,” Roni, who is also the deputy director of the Padang Legal Aid Foundation, said.
Alexander has had his reading privileges limited while serving his sentence at Muaro Sijunjung Penitentiary, according to Roni.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/23/scene-minang-atheist-appeals-conviction.html
He has an excellent point. Aside from what's obviously wrong with this law, the stated rationale for thought crimes is the state's interest in maintaining order and preventing public unrest. The U.S. has incitement statutes; Indonesia has blasphemy statutes. Yet, the "unrest" here, likely organized, was caused by the reactions to the post, not the post itself.
http://www.atheistalliance.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=495