Alexander Aan

Alexander Aan (born 1981 ) is an Indonesian atheist and ex-Muslim of Minang descent. He was imprisoned in 2012 for posting comments and images to Facebook that were judged to be "disseminating information aimed at inciting religious hatred or hostility" by the Muaro Sijunjung district court. The sentence sparked national debate Aan declared heaven, hell, angels, and devils to be "myths". Two days later, he was charged with "disseminating information aimed at inciting religious hatred or hostility". On 14 June, the Muaro Sijunjung district court found Aan guilty of "disseminating information aimed at inciting religious hatred or hostility" and sentenced him to two and a half years imprisonment and a fine of 100 million rupiahs (US$10,600). On 27 January 2014, Aan was released from prison.

Reactions Aan's arrest caused "outrage" among both domestic and international religious freedom activists, and several petitions were circulated calling for his release. Amnesty International responded by designating Alexander a prisoner of conscience, describing the sentence as "a serious setback for freedom of expression in Indonesia". The organization called for Alexander's immediate release. The Asian Human Rights Commission also called for Alexander's release, stating that his actions did not "pose a threat to public order" and were covered by freedom of religion. An opinion column in The Jakarta Globe described the charges as "a blight on Indonesia's democratic credentials" and a threat to Indonesia's attractiveness to foreign investors. organized a protest outside the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC on 18 June 2012, calling for Indonesian authorities to release and exonerate Aan. A second CFI-organized protest outside the Indonesian Consulate in New York City took place on July 6. CFI also sent a letter demanding Aan's release to the Indonesian Embassy through its Office of Public Policy.

The Islamic Society Forum, a coalition of far right Islamist groups, stated that the potential five-year sentence was not enough and that Aan should be executed. The organization's secretary-general stated, "What he has done cannot be tolerated... it is important to prevent this group from spreading atheism in this country." The atheist Facebook group which he founded saw a surge in membership, up to 2,000. However, most of these were against atheists and Aan; some postings included calls for atheists to be beheaded and calling them cowards.