Indonesian man arrested for mocking Palestine says he meant to insult Israel
A man in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is facing six years in prison under Indonesia’s Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE), with police alleging that he insulted Palestine on a TikTok video, even though he claims to have gotten the state mixed up with Israel.
As solidarity continues to grow for the Palestinian cause following atrocious attacks from Israel, many Indonesians are resorting to social media to voice their support for the former. Not 23-year-old H, who went viral over the weekend for his TikTok video in which he called Palestinians pigs and that they should be massacred.
Eka Wana Prasta, who heads the general crimes unit at the NTB Police, said today that H has been charged with violation of articles under the controversial UU ITE, while adding that he has also offered an apology.
In another video uploaded on TikTok, H asked the audience for forgiveness and said that he had misunderstood Palestine’s role in the occupation.
“I have made a mistake in what I said, apparently the colonizer is Israel. Israel fuck you, is what I meant, please forgive me for my error,” H said.
Despite his apology, police have confirmed that H has been arrested and that the legal process against him will continue.
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