TikToker in Indonesia jailed for two years after posting pork video

A TikToker has been sentenced to two years in jail in Indonesia after uploading a video of her eating pork.

In March, TikTok lifestyle influencer Lina Lutfiawati posted a video of herself to the platform which violated Indonesia's strict blasphemy laws.

The 33-year-old self-identified Muslim has since been found guilty of 'inciting hatred' against religious people and groups, leading her to receive a two-year jail sentence and hefty fine.

As per Amnesty International's document on blasphemy laws, Indonesia has two articles in its criminal code relating to such profanity.

The document explains: "The blasphemy provisions in Articles 156 and 156(a) of the Criminal Code criminalise 'any person who in public deliberately expresses his/her feelings or engages in actions that in principle is hostile and considered as abuse or defamation of a religion embraced in Indonesia'."

But what did Lufiawati do which was considered abuse or defamation of a religion?

TikTok/ @lilumekerji

In March, the TikToker - who has over two million followers on the platform - was travelling in Bali and uploaded a video of her eating pork skin, despite pork being haram in Islam. Muslims banned from consuming it by the Quran.

Lutfiawati - known as Lina Mukherjee on TikTok, the name a result of her love of Bollywood movies - said she wanted to try the pork out of curiosity.

Before she popped the food in her mouth, Lutfiawati said, 'Bismillah'. The Arabic phrase means: "In the name of God."

Lutifiawati received immense backlash online over the recording - Bali containing a majority Hindu population - and one TikTok user even reported her to the police for 'knowingly eating pork as a Muslim'.

TikTok/ @lilumekerji

However, people on Indonesian social media have reportedly been left more divided over the result of Lutifiawati being sentenced to two years in prison - some pointing out people found guilty of corruption have received lesser sentences.

On top of her two-year prison sentence, Lutifiawati has been ordered to pay a $16,245 fine (£13,155) and if she fails to pay it, she could be subject to an additional three months in jail.

On local news station MetroTV, Lutifiawati said: "I know that I am wrong but I did not expect this punishment."

Topics: World News, TikTok, Food and Drink, Social Media

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.