Indonesia abolishes criminal punishment for insulting the government

Indonesia's Constitutional Court has struck down provisions of the law that stipulate criminal punishment for publicly insulting the government and other state institutions.

Bloomberg reported this, citing the court's ruling.

The decision to introduce criminal punishment for publicly insulting the government was adopted in Indonesia in 2023, and these norms officially took effect in January 2026. The corresponding criminal articles provided for imprisonment of up to three years.

Indonesia's Constitutional Court concluded that such norms threaten freedom of speech in the country and contradict the country's basic law. It is separately noted that state institutions "have no feelings" and therefore cannot be insulted. According to the court's ruling, law enforcement agencies no longer have the right to prosecute citizens under the corresponding articles.

Source: TASS