Indonesia’s blasphemy legislation gained global attention during the trial of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) in 2017. But apart from Ahok, many other Indonesians have also faced blasphemy charges in recent years, even though the constitutionality of the law has been challenged repeatedly.

Why is blasphemy such a serious offence in Indonesia? What do recent blasphemy cases have in common and where do they differ? And how do they fit into broader legal developments and political trends in Indonesia?

In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues with Dr Melissa Crouch, currently a Kathleen Fitzpatrick Visiting Fellow at the Melbourne Law School, and a Senior Lecturer from the Law Faculty of the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Photo credit: ANTARA FOTO/Mohammad Ayudha/nz/18