Indonesian ‘cyber-jihadist’ arrested for spreading fake news and hate speech on social media

The suspect, a 32-year-old man, was active on sites such as Instagram and YouTube as a representative of the so-called Muslim Cyber Army

The leaderless group hit the headlines in March last year, when 14 of its members were arrested for spreading hate speech and hoaxes online

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Indonesian police said the suspect was active on a number of social media platforms. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:00am, 29 Jun 2019Updated: 9:17pm, 29 Jun 2019

Indonesian police have arrested a member of the Muslim Cyber Army – a self-proclaimed cyber-jihadist network – for spreading fake news and hate speech via social media, though analysts say it will do little to dampen such propaganda as there is no shortage of people to replace him.

The suspect, a 32-year-old man known by his initials AY, told police he used to be a member of the notorious Islamic Defenders Front, but is now “only a sympathiser”.

“I think this [arrest] is not going to help much as this group believes that their cyber army is a holy army,” said Robi Sugara, lecturer and counterterrorism analyst at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University, adding that its members believe they are “fighting for Islam”.

“Many will replace [the one who has been arrested]. They are like a radical group but one which moves in cyberspace via social media.”

AY was arrested on June 25 in Cibinong, a district of Bogor in West Java. Rickynaldo Chairul, head of the Indonesian National Police’s Detective and General Crimes cybercrime division, told a press conference on Friday that the suspect had more than 20,000 followers on social media. The videos on his Muslim Cyber Army YouTube channel, which he created in 2013, have been viewed more than 4 million times.

The police said he uploaded photos and videos designed to spread hatred against the government, police officers and other individuals and groups.