Sueded For 7 Months In Prison, Yahya Waloni Apologizes To Christians, Promises To Be A Polite And Dignified Preacher

Ustaz Yahya Waloni (Capture the screen of Hadits TV YouTube channel)

JAKARTA - Ustaz Yahya Waloni pleaded guilty and regretted all his actions before a panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court (PN Jaksel).

This was conveyed by Yahya Waloni after the Public Prosecutor (JPU) read out the demands of 7 months in prison and a fine of Rp. 50 million for his involvement in cases of blasphemy and hate speech.

The judge asked whether the defendant accepted the claim and had the right to file a plea (defense, ed). Yahya said he accepted and immediately conveyed his defense verbally. The judge then allowed the defendant to present his defense.

In his defense, Yahya acknowledged and regretted his actions, and apologized to Christians throughout Indonesia. Yahya admitted that his actions violated the ethics and morality of the nation and state. Therefore Yahya accepted all the consequences, and underwent the trial without being accompanied by a lawyer.

He also promised that after he was released from prison he would return to being a good preacher, calling for unity and inter-religious unity.

"I am fully aware that what I am doing will push me to be better in the future, to become a preacher who is more polite, dignified, and has the ethics of delivering da'wah treatises," said Yahya Waloni as quoted by Antara, Jakarta, Tuesday, December 28.

After reading the defense of the defendant, the panel of judges adjourned the trial for two weeks for the reading of the verdict which was scheduled for January 11, 2022.

The South Jakarta District Attorney's Public Prosecutor's Office previously charged Muhammad Yahya Waloni, a defendant with hate speech and blasphemy, with a prison term of seven months and a fine of IDR 50 million or a subsidiary of one month in prison.

"The defendant Muhammad Yahya Waloni was sentenced to seven months in prison, reduced while the defendant was in custody, with an order to remain in custody and a fine of Rp.

In his indictment, the prosecutor stated that Yahya Waloni was found guilty of committing a criminal act of incitement to commit a criminal act intentionally and without the right to disseminate information aimed at causing hatred or hostility to certain individuals and or groups of people based on ethnicity, religion, race, and intergroup (SARA). ).

Yahya Waloni's actions violated Article 45 a paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 28 paragraph (2) of Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning Amendments to Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE).

In his judgment, the prosecutor considered that the thing that was aggravating the defendant was that his actions had damaged the longstanding inter-religious harmony.

As for the mitigating factors, namely the defendant Yahya Waloni was not complicated in giving testimony at the trial, regretted his actions and has apologized to Christians and all Indonesian people.

In addition, the reporting witness has forgiven the defendant's actions, even though the defendant's legal case is continued for the common good.

"The defendant Yahya Waloni promised not to repeat his actions again and is expected to improve in the future. The defendant is the backbone of the family," said the prosecutor.