In Court Ferdinand Affirmed He Has Converted To Islam But The KTP Hasn't Changed, Prosecutor: We Hold The Identity KTP, Brothers Are Still Christian

Ferdinand Hutahaean (Photo: Rizky AP/VOI)

JAKARTA - The religious polemic espoused by social media activist Ferdinand Hutahaean re-emerged in the inaugural trial with the agenda of reading the indictment. Prosecutors still list Christianity as Ferdinand's religion.

Whereas in front of the panel of judges, Ferdinand admitted that he had been a Muslim since 2017.

"Regarding my KTP identity, my KTP identity is still recorded as a Christian. However, since 2017 I have converted to Islam and embraced Islam," said Ferdinand in the Central Jakarta District Court courtroom, Tuesday, February 15.

"I have also conveyed it at the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police, but administratively my ID card has not changed, there are still obstacles related to the documents that have not been changed, so my ID card has not changed. But in my daily life I have been living life as a Muslim since 2017," he continued.

"There are still obstacles related to documents that have not yet been changed, so that the ID card has not changed. But in my daily life I have been living life as a Muslim since 2017," he continued.

Ferdinand, who was once a politician of the Democratic Party, said that the process of religious conversion was witnessed by the younger brother of the 4th President of the Republic of Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid alias Gus Dur, Lily Chodijah Wahid. However, he admitted that he forgot the exact time when the process was carried out.

Responding to Ferdinand Hutahaean's protest, the panel of judges questioned the difference in the identity of the beliefs contained in the indictment to the public prosecutor. The prosecutor explained that the writing of religion in the indictment referred to Ferdinand Hutahaean's ID card.

"The identity that is valid in Indonesia is an ID card, the person concerned is written as Christian. So in the indictment, we hold the identity as with the NIK where you are still a Christian," said Prosecutor Baringin in response to Ferdinand's statement.

Previously, Ferdinand Hutahaean was charged with intentionally committing a troublesome act by uploading a tweet on social media Twitter, which was judged to be false reporting related to the Islamic religion.

The prosecutor then traced the chronology of events. Starting from January 3, 2022, at 08.05 WIB, Ferdinand tweeted "Today Bahar Smith is scheduled to be questioned at the West Java Regional Police for hate speech. We urge the West Java Regional Police to establish Bahar Smith as a SUSPECT and DETERMINED for justice. Those who agree with me please Retweet".

On the same day, at 16.28 WIB, Ferdinand also uploaded the tweet "Hopefully arrested so this nation will calm down", by including a screenshot of news from an online media portal entitled "Bahar Bin Smith: If I am immediately arrested, justice and democracy will die in the Republic of Indonesia. ".

Furthermore, on January 4, 2022, Ferdinand republished several tweets related to the development of the Bahar Bin Smith case, which was at 06.25 WIB containing "Don't these people understand that the investigation has not been completed. The police can't provide information? Who told you to wait there anyway?? Instead of going home to accompany the child and wife, looking for food for the child and wife, it's like this."

Then, at 06.44 WIB, Ferdinand tweeted again "Thank you to friends who have supported the Police by means of RT or Like my tweet yesterday. We express our appreciation to the Police who continue to improve the work culture that is more humane and not arrogant. The Police are brave, the Police are firm, Trusted Police", as well as linking to the @DivHumas_Polri and @ListyoSigitP accounts.

Ferdinand's account tweet was still continuing, at 06.58 WIB, saying "Not only Bahar Bin Smith, the West Java Police have also determined the uploader of the Lecture Video to be a Suspect. So there is no reason to call this criminalization, TR who uploaded the video is also TSK. This is purely law enforcement for justice." The tweet brought back the accounts of @DivHumas_Polri and @ListyoSigitP.

Then, at 10.25 WIB, Ferdinand also tweeted "Gaya only!", as a comment on @yusuf_dumdum's tweet, namely "where were all these bodyguards when Bahar was arrested?"

The tweet continued, at 10.31 WIB, "The lecture accused the Police of killing 6 FPI guard Rizieq. He was slandered viciously with the words Killed, tortured, skinned, pulled out his nails, burned his genitals, even though the autopsy of the corpse was clearly not there at all. The hoax news make him languish in prison for a long time..!!".

"The defendant spread this false news, where it was clear that the defendant had a direct role in broadcasting false news or notifications, which could not be accounted for and deliberately caused trouble among the people," said Prosecutor Baringin.

The culmination of all of Ferdinand's tweets, according to the prosecutor, was Ferdinand's tweet at 10:54 WIB saying "It's a pity that your God is weak, you have to be defended. If I were, my God is extraordinary, omnipotent, He is always my defender and my God doesn't need to be defended."

"The defendant's words were clearly not only directed at Bahar Bin Smith and his group, but those who were hurt by the defendant's words were adherents of the Islamic religion throughout Indonesia; and it is possible that Muslims around the world were offended and angry because of the lies conveyed by the defendant on his Twitter​​​," explained Baringin.