Indonesian man imprisoned for atheist confession on Facebook
Play
Jakarta - An Indonesian court sentenced a man to two-and-a-half years in prison for declaring himself an atheist onthe social networking website Facebook, reports said Friday.
Muaro District Court, West Sumatra, found 32-year-old Alexander Aan guilty of blasphemy against Islam and insulting the Prophet Mohammed through a Facebook group Ateis Minang, which he administrated.
The Jakarta Post daily reported that Aan had accepted the ruling and said that for him "faith is a personal matter and I have expressed my regret and apology to every party, including my family."
Rights group Amnesty International called for his immediate release and said the case was "a serious setback for freedom of expression in Indonesia, and violates Indonesia's obligations under international law."
Indonesia is a secular country with the largest Muslim population in the world.//DPA
