TikToker sentenced to two years prison for pork video in Bali, Indonesia

An influencer with more than 2 million TikTok followers has been jailed for two years over a video where she ate pork in Bali.

A woman has been sentenced to two years in prison over a viral TikTok video she filmed herself eating pork while travelling in Bali, Indonesia.

Lina Lutfiawati, who goes by the name Lina Mukherjee, had recited an Islamic phrase before eating crispy pork skin on camera.

Eating pork is strictly forbidden in Islam and Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia.

The 33-year-old, who identifies as Muslim, has more than 2 million followers on the social media platform.

Mukherjee said she tried pork out of curiosity, according to the BBC, which also reported she was travelling in Bali at the time the video was filmed.

While Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, the majority of the population on the popular holiday island of Bali identify as Hindu.

Influencer Lina Mukherjee has been jailed for two years and fined $25,200. Picture: TikTok

She was reported over a video in March where she said an Islamic prayer and then ate pork. Picture: TikTok

In the video Mukherjee can be heard saying “Bismillah”, which means “in the name of God” in Arabic.

This week, a court in the South Sumatra city of Palembang sentenced her to two years prison after she was found guilty of “spreading information aimed at inciting hatred against religious individuals and specific groups”, AFP reported.

She was also fined 250 million rupiah ($25,200) and if it is not paid her jail term could be extended by three months.

Mukherjee identifies as Muslim. Picture: Instagram / @linamukherjee_

She has more than 2 million followers on TikTok. Picture: Instagram / @linamukherjee_

Mukherjee was reported over the video in March and was charged by police in May.

Her actions were condemned by conservative groups including the country’s top Muslim clerical body, the Indonesian Ulema Council, which issued a ruling calling the video blasphemous.

Mukherjee’s TikTok is the latest in a string of blasphemy cases in the country.

Last year Indonesian police arrested six people on charges of blasphemy after a bar promoted free alcohol for patrons named Mohammed. Drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.

Former governor of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, was jailed for nearly two years on controversial blasphemy charges in 2017.

Purnama, a Christian, was sentenced for comments he made on the campaign trail during a re-election bid that saw him accused of insulting Islam.

He was Jakarta’s first non-Muslim governor in 50 years.

– with AFP