Alexander Aan
Alexander Aan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 Indonesia |
| Occupation | Civil servant (former) |
| Known for | Being imprisoned for blasphemy and atheism activism in Indonesia |
Alexander Aan (born 1981) is an Indonesian ex-Muslim and atheist of Minang heritage. In 2012, he was sentenced to prison after posting on Facebook content that the Muaro Sijunjung district court determined to be "disseminating information intended to incite religious hatred or hostility." His conviction ignited widespread national discussion and prompted Amnesty International to classify him as a prisoner of conscience.
Arrest and trial
Prior to his detention, Aan was employed as a civil servant in West Sumatra’s Pulau Punjung subdistrict. Although raised in the Muslim faith, he began questioning its doctrines at age 11 and discontinued practicing religion by 2008. In January 2012, he shared posts within an atheist Facebook community that challenged the existence of God and dismissed ideas such as heaven, hell, angels, and devils as "myths." He additionally circulated a contentious article concerning Mohammad. These activities attracted scrutiny from the Indonesian Council of Ulema, who filed blasphemy charges against him. On 18 January, Aan suffered an assault by a mob and was subsequently placed under police protection. Two days later, authorities formally charged him with provoking religious hatred. Officials also alleged that he had provided false information about his religious affiliation on his government employment application.
On 14 June, the Muaro Sijunjung district court found Aan guilty, sentencing him to two and a half years imprisonment along with a fine of 100 million rupiahs (approximately US$10,600). The judge asserted that his conduct had disturbed public peace and defamed Islam. Aan was released on 27 January 2014.
Reactions
The arrest of Aan provoked condemnation from both national and international advocates for religious freedom, resulting in petitions demanding his liberation. Hendardi, director of the Setara Institute, criticized the severity of the sentence as "excessive," underscoring arbitrary law enforcement and violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Indonesia is a party. Amnesty International labeled Aan a prisoner of conscience, describing the verdict as "a serious setback for freedom of expression in Indonesia" and called for his immediate release. Human Rights Watch cautioned that the ruling signaled "a threat to Indonesia's religious minorities" amidst a backdrop of recent extremist violence. The Asian Human Rights Commission also advocated for his release, noting that his actions did not "endanger public order" and were protected under freedom of religion.
The Atheist Alliance International initiated a campaign supporting Aan, emphasizing that his case exemplifies discrimination faced by atheists, particularly in Islamic nations. An editorial in The Jakarta Globe criticized the charges as harmful to Indonesia’s democratic image and its attractiveness to foreign investors.
The Center for Inquiry backed the petition from the Asian Human Rights Commission and organized demonstrations outside the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC on 18 June 2012, followed by protests at the Indonesian Consulate in New York City on July 6, demanding Aan’s release and acquittal. CFI also sent a formal letter urging his freedom to the Indonesian Embassy.
In contrast, the Islamic Society Forum, representing far-right Islamist factions, argued that the five-year imprisonment demand was insufficient and advocated for Aan’s execution to curb atheism’s spread. The atheist Facebook group founded by Aan grew rapidly to approximately 2,000 members—mostly opponents of atheism and Aan himself—featuring posts calling for beheading atheists and branding them cowards.
See also
- Anti-atheism in Indonesia
- Discrimination against atheists in Indonesia
- Human rights in Indonesia
- Religion in Indonesia