Opponents of the measure call it “undemocratic”
The Indonesian Parliament approved on Tuesday a broad reform of the penal code that includes the prohibition of extramarital sex and apostasy, in addition to insults to the president, among other changes denounced as “undemocratic” by dozens of NGOs and civil groups. The reform, which has been under discussion for decades and has generated massive protestsin the country, was supported today by the Indonesian Parliament, the country with the most Muslims in the world and a liberal tradition, as confirmed by Alif Nurwidiastomi, from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation. Among the most criticized clauses are the prohibition of sex outside of marriage in any of its forms with up to one year in prison, as well as the punishment of insulting the president with a maximum of three years in prison, in addition to the outlawing of apostasy.
After its approval, a period of “about two years” opens in which the reform can be disputed in the country’s constitutional court, Nurwidiastomi explained to EFE, who discredited the process due to “the links” between said court and the Government and believes that it will end up being implemented.
The reform has generated protests since it was threatened to approve it in 2019, when it was paralyzed after massive demonstrations in the country, while dozens of people have demonstrated against it since yesterday in front of the Parliament in Jakarta. Almost a hundred NGOs denounced in a statement on Monday that its content is “undemocratic” due to the suppression of freedoms that it entails, in which it represents the most extensive reform of the penal code since the independence of Indonesia from the Netherlands in 1945. Its detractors condemn the “Islamization” of the Muslim-majority country, which had considered the dark period of the Suharto dictatorship (1967-1998) over.
The reform includes for the first time the consideration of apostasy as a crime and expands the already existing laws against blasphemy, urging to prosecute those who express public opinions or commit “hostile acts” against the religions professed in Indonesia with up to 5 years in prison. It also punishes insulting the president and vice president of the country with a maximum of three years in prison, and prohibits peaceful protests without prior permission, with penalties of up to six months in prison.