T

he National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department arrested a doctor in West Sumatra on Friday afternoon for allegedly spreading hate speech via Facebook. According to the police, the doctor, Siti Sundari Daranila, 51, is suspected of having created an alternate account under the name Gusti Sikumbang to which she uploaded the content in question.

Cybercrime division head Brig. Gen. Fadil Imran said the police suspected that Siti had spread hate speech related to blasphemy and racial discrimination in numerous posts. She reportedly posted a photo of newly inaugurated Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Hadi Tjahjanto with his family, with a caption allegedly containing hate speech against a certain ethnicity.

The police, Fadil said, had confiscated two smartphones as evidence. Siti faces up to six years’ imprisonment if charged under the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.