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Prominent Journalist Tells Court How Indonesia's Religion Law Jailed Him
Ulma Hariyanto | February 10, 2010

Senior journalist Arswendo Atmowiloto shaking hands with Constitutional Court judges after providing his testimony at Wednesday Senior journalist Arswendo Atmowiloto shaking hands with Constitutional Court judges after providing his testimony at Wednesday's judicial review. (JG Photo)
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A prominent senior journalist, author and cultural expert appeared as a witness at the Constitutional Court on Wednesday to speak about his experience with a law that saw him imprisoned for five years.

The court was hearing the fourth phase of the judicial review into the 1965 Law on the Prevention of Blasphemy and Abuse of Religion.

The 1965 law, which dates back to the last years of former President Sukarno’s rule, was challenged in 2009 by the late Gus Dur, renowned worldwide for his pluralistic beliefs, and several human rights organizations, including Imparsial and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

Arswendo Atmowiloto, now a senior journalist and expert, was imprisoned in 1990 under the law over the outcome of a survey calling for readers to name their heroes in a local tabloid called Monitor, of which he was editor-in-chief at the time.

“Twenty years ago I was first introduced to the law, because it sent me to prison for the maximum sentence of five years for violating an article of the law,” he told the court when beginning his testimony.

Arswendo said that the newspaper received 33,963 postcards, nominating 667 people as “heroes” in response to the survey. According to the survey results, Suharto was voted readers’ number one hero, with Arswendo as number 10 and the prophet Muhammad ranked eleventh. The result was published and sparked anger from Muslim groups who took the case to court, leading to Arswendo’s trial and imprisonment.

Although his tabloid issued a public apology in its next issue and Arswendo also apologized personally on the then one and only national television station, TVRI, he still had to serve time in prison from 1990 to 1995.

The court will also hear on Wednesday from the government, the House of Representatives, petitioner’s witnesses and experts.