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Police name BRIN researcher as hate speech suspect
Investigators from the National Police’s cybercrimes unit have detained an employee with the national research agency in connection with the “threatening” comments he made regarding a discussion over the different dates for Idul Fitri.
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Police have arrested Andi Pangerang Hasanuddin, a researcher with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), as a suspect in a hate speech case for allegedly spreading online hate targeting members of the country’s second-largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah. (Shutterstock/File)
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he National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) has named a researcher with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) as a suspect for allegedly spreading online hate against Muhammadiyah, the country’s second largest Muslim organization that celebrated Idul Fitri a day before the official date of April 22.
On Sunday afternoon, investigators from Bareskrim’s cybercrime unit transported BRIN researcher Andi Pangerang Hasanuddin from his home in Jombang, East Java, for questioning at the Bareskrim headquarters in Jakarta.
The police made the move after following up on a report by Nasrullah, a member of the central board of Muhammadiyah’s youth wing, Pemuda Muhammadiyah.
Investigators had also spoken with expert witnesses, such as criminal law experts, linguists and information technology experts during their probe into the hate speech case centering around a comment Andi made on Facebook.
“We found indications of hate speech and that [Andi’s] comment incites violence toward a certain group,” cybercrimes director Brig. Gen. Adi Vivid Agustiadi Bachtiar told a press conference on Monday.
The alleged hate speech occurred on April 21, when Andi commented on a Facebook post by fellow BRIN researcher Thomas Djamaluddin, who said that Muhammadiyah "did not obey the government's decision" regarding the official date for Idul Fitri and "still demanded to be allowed to hold [the Idul Fitri] prayers" on a different date.
According to police, Andi’s comment was worded: "Do I need to make the blood of all Muhammadiyah [members] halal?”
