Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Eritrea
Religion or Belief: Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: October/15/2022
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Giving, Sharing, & Listening to a Religious Speech Religious Expression Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim was detained in relation to his religious leadership role and religious expression.
On October 15, 2022, authorities arrested Tsalim, the Catholic bishop of Segheneity diocese, at Asmara International Airport upon his return from Europe. Tsalim was reportedly targeted for highlighting human rights violations during homilies.
On December 29, 2022, it was reported that Tsalim had been released.
Related Cases: Mihretab Stefanos, Abraham
USCIRF Country Update: Religious Freedom Conditions in Eritrea August 2023
"Catholic bishop, priest released after two months in Eritrea prison" Catholic News Agency (CNA)
USCIRF Commissioners Frederick Davie and Eric Ueland, Tweet, October 20, 2022
"Source confirms arrest of Catholic bishop, two priests in Eritrea" Catholic News Agency (CNA)
"Eritrean authorities detain Catholic bishop, but won’t say why" Catholic News Service
Additional Name(s): Roy Suryo Notodiprojo
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Indonesia
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: 9 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: August/5/2022
Date of Sentencing: December/28/2022
Date of Release: May/2/2023
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Religious Figures) Online Activity
Nature of Charges: Blasphemy Hate Speech Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials
Roy Suryo was imprisoned for blasphemy.
On August 5, 2022, police arrested Suryo, the former Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs, for tweeting out an image of President Joko Widodo's face digitally imposed on a Buddhist statue. Suryo's tweet reportedly came after the government announced plans to raise the entry price to get into the Borobudur Temple. Suryo was reportedly charged with “disseminating information aimed at inflicting hatred or dissension on individuals and/or certain groups of community based on ethnic groups, religions, races, and inter-groups” (Art. 28(2) Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE)) and “insulting a religion" or "preventing a person from adhering to any religion based on a belief in God” (Art. 156a ICC) as well as under Law Number 1 of 1946 for disseminating false information.
On December 28, 2022, the West Jakarta District Court sentenced Suryo to nine months in prison.
On February 10, 2023, the Jakarta High Court upheld Suryo's sentence and imposed a fine of 150 million rupiah or two additional months in jail.
In May 2023, the Supreme Court rejected Suryo's appeal.
On May 2, 2023, Suryo was released after completing his sentence.
Photo attributed to Election Commission, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
"Roy Suryo Bebas Penjara di Kasus Meme Jokowi" Cable News Network (CNN)
"Roy Suryo Bebas Usai Jalani Vonis 9 Bulan Bui di Kasus Meme Stupa" Detik
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Indonesia U.S. Department of State
"Ex-Minister Roy Suryo Convicted of Hate Speech" Jakarta Globe
"Bacakan Pleidoi, Roy Suryo Minta Dibebaskan dan Nama Baik Dibersihkan" Cable News Network (CNN)
USCIRF Issue Update: ASEAN States' Blasphemy Laws October 19, 2022
"Baca artikel CNN Indonesia "Roy Suryo Didakwa Penodaan Agama di Kasus Stupa Borobudur Mirip Jokowi" Cable News Network (CNN)
"Roy Suryo arrested over post of Jokowi's face on Buddhist statue" The Jakarta Post
Additional Name(s): Dika Eka
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Indonesia
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: May/5/2022
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Religious Texts) Online Activity
Nature of Charges: Blasphemy
Cepdika Eka Rismana is detained for blasphemy.
On May 5, 2022, police in West Java province arrested Rismana after a video of went viral of Rismana stepping or stomping on a Qur'an. He is reportedly charged with blasphemy.
Rismana's wife was arrested alongside him after authorities accused her of uploading the video on social media.
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Indonesia U.S. Department of State
USCIRF Issue Update: ASEAN States' Blasphemy Laws October 19, 2022
"Indonesian faces blasphemy charge for desecrating Quran" Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News)