Indonesian jailed for blasphemy enduring harsh conditions, says NGO
Rights group says woman is sharing cramped cell with 16 others and given ‘terrible’ food
A rights group says the Indonesian woman imprisoned for blasphemy after complaining about noise from a mosque is sharing a cramped cell with 16 other women and given “terrible” food.
Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono said the ethnic Chinese woman, Meiliana, was emotional but tough when he and other supporters visited her in prison in Medan this week.
“She was sobbing when talking to us,” Harsono said Thursday in a statement about the visit. “The cell is about 30 square meters. The food is terrible,” he said.
The case has highlighted how Indonesia’s blasphemy law has become a tool for Islamic hardliners to persecute followers of minority religions.
Meiliana, who uses one name, was sentenced to 18 months in prison last month. She was charged in May, nearly two years after her comments sparked riots in Tanjung Balai, a Sumatran port town.
Her husband and two sons feared for their safety and moved to Medan, said Gomar Gultom, secretary general of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia.