A Christian leader in West Kaliman Province was arrested on Feb. 18 for comments he made about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, sources said.
Police arrested Dedi Saputra as he and his wife were on their way home from buying personal items and supplies for the church he serves in Suka Maju village, Sungai Betung Sub-District, Bengkayang Regency, according to news reports.
Police from Saputra’s native Aceh Province arrested him, and he was detained at the Bengkayang Police Station and the Pontianak Regional Police Headquarters in West Kaliman Province before he was flown to Aceh Provincial Police Headquarters on Feb. 20, Aceh-based Serambinews.com reported.
After authorities and Islamic organizations accused him of religious defamation and hate speech related to videos posted on his social media account, he was reportedly charged under Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE) and the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) for allegedly spreading religious hate speech.
Police in Aceh said he was being held at Aceh Regional Police Detention Center for investigation.
In their arrest, police stopped the motorcycle he and his wife, Etfy, were riding, preventing them from continuing their journey. Police took her to the church where her husband serves because she cannot drive, according to Komparatif.id.
In a TikTok video uploaded by Anggu Perman, Saputra said police did not handcuff him and allowed him to return the church motorcycle to the church site.
Saputra, a former Muslim, was arrested for allegedly insulting Muhammad via his TikTok account @tersadarkan5758, according to MetroTv.com. Uploaded late last year, the video has been viewed around 1.9 million times and sparked widespread reaction on social media.
In a TikTok video edited and uploaded by Kenzie De Jann Weringkukly as the @tersadarkan5758 account was deleted, Weringkukly claims the video he uploaded was the cause of Saputra’s arrest. In the video, Saputra answers a netizen’s question about converting to another religion by stating, “Muhammad, before became a prophet, had only one wife, but when he became a prophet, he had a dozen wives.”
Weringkukly reinforces Saputra’s explanation by showing an article published in Suara Muhammadiyah magazine that states, “Before his prophethood (between the ages of 25 and 40), the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had only one wife, Siti Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. During this period, he never practiced polygamy, and Khadijah was his only wife until her death. Several years after his prophethood, he had 11 to 13 wives, known as Ummahatul Mukminin (Foster Mothers of the Believers). Most of the marriages took place in Medina for social and humanitarian reasons, and to strengthen tribal ties, with Khadijah (his first wife) as his only wife in Mecca. When he died, he left behind nine wives.”
This statement is believed to have contributed to sparking anger among Muslims. The Aceh Provincial Communication, Information, and Cryptography Office, on its official website, diskominfo.acehprov.go.id, reported that the Aceh government, along with several Islamic organizations, agreed to report the owner of the TikTok account @tersadarkan5758 to the Aceh Regional Police on Nov. 4.
The decision was reportedly the result of a meeting with various officials, including representatives of Aceh’s Islamic organizations and youth organizations. The head of the Aceh Islamic Sharia Office, Zahrol Fajri, stated that the meeting addressed the concerns of the community and Islamic organizations regarding Saputra’s comments on his TikTok account.
The case was soon reported under No. LP/B/357/XI/2025/SPKT/Aceh Police by Mohamad Rendi Febriansyah, general chairperson of the Aceh Branch of the Indonesian Islamic Students Regional Board, along with government officials such as the Aceh Islamic Sharia Office, the Civil Service Police Unit, the Aceh Sharia Law Enforcement Force and other Islamic community organizations, according to Beritaborneo.com.
“We reported the content because we believe it has hurt the feelings of Muslims,” Rendi reportedly said. “The video has also circulated widely and sparked unrest in the community.”
The Center for Inter-Religious Studies and Traditions (CFIRST) urged police to remain neutral and ensure the safety of Saputra. CFIRST Director Arif Mirdjaja said the new Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, KUHP), implemented on Jan. 2, no longer includes an article on blasphemy.
“In the new Criminal Code, the blasphemy article has been removed, so Dedi can no longer be charged with blasphemy,” Arif said on Sunday (Feb. 22).
He said the case could set a negative precedent for religious freedom.
“Religious freedom is a non-derogable right that cannot be reduced under any circumstances,” Arif said. “The state is obliged to guarantee protection to all citizens without exception.”
Responding to TVOneNews’ Instagram post, the owner of Facebook account Ibaupaulo posted that such cases are what “prevents this country from progressing, because the state/government is still busy managing its citizens’ faith...but forgets its responsibility to develop human resources and character.”
Another Facebook account, Rudal, accused the police of favoritism, posting, “There was an incident where someone insulted the crucifixion of a pagan genie, but why weren’t they arresting him?”
Deni Febrianus Nafi, director of the Ahavah Legal Aid Institute, was appointed attorney for the Saputra family, according to medialiterasi.com.
Located at the northernmost tip of Sumatra Province, Aceh shares borders with Singapore and India and has special autonomy to implement sharia (Islamic law). The majority of its population is Muslim, with only about 1.5 percent identifying as Christian. Other religions are also recognized in Indonesia.
