Aceh Pastor Arrested for ‘Insulting Islam’
An Acehnese pastor, Dedi Saputra, has been detained by investigators with the Aceh Regional Police.
The arrest was made after Saputra allegedly shared content on social media that authorities stated was hate speech and seen as insulting to Islam, which received widespread attention and elicited a public response.
Operating under the alias Dedi Murtaddin on social media and running the TikTok account @tersadarkan5758, Saputra was located and arrested on Feb. 18 in Bengkayang, West Kalimantan.
Several of his videos and social media posts circulated widely and were considered insulting or offensive to Islamic teachings by some. The content subsequently received widespread attention and public criticism, particularly in Aceh, an autonomous province in Sumatra, Indonesia.
The case began with a Nov. 18, 2025, police report from a North Aceh student highlighting alleged hate speech and blasphemy online.
After receiving the report, Cyber Unit 3 of the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of the Aceh Regional Police investigated to determine Saputra’s whereabouts. The investigation established his location in Bengkayang Regency, West Kalimantan.
On Feb. 17, 2026, a Cyber Unit 3 team from the Aceh Regional Police’s Special Criminal Investigation Directorate, led by First Inspector Adam Maulana, traveled to West Kalimantan and worked with local police to prepare for SSaputra’sapprehension.
On Feb. 18, a joint team with Bengkayang Police apprehended Saputra. He was initially taken to Bengkayang Police Headquarters for questioning as a witness regarding the alleged social media offenses.
Following a virtual case presentation, investigators formally identified Saputra as a suspect in the alleged hate speech and blasphemy case. On Feb. 19, he was transferred to Banda Aceh, arriving on Feb. 20, and was detained for 20 days, from Feb. 20 to March 11.
Saputra is currently held at the Aceh Regional Police’s Directorate of Tahti Detention Center while legal proceedings continue in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.