Indonesia : An Islamic cleric gets 4 years imprisonment for hiding the positive test result of Covid-19

An Islamic cleric can get a legal punishment in a Muslim dominant country like Indonesia; however, such action will never be taken in India because such people are favoured and protected for each crime in the name of secularism.

Jakarta (Indonesia) – An influential cleric Rizieq Shihab was sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment for hiding his positive test result of covid-19. The Court said, ‘Hiding the test result of the covid-19 test made contact tracing more difficult. This created high risk to the health of people who came in contact with him’. The soldiers were deployed outside the court. Thousands of Shihab’s supporters had gathered outside the Court to demand his release. Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

An influential firebrand cleric in #Indonesia was sentenced to another four years in prison, for concealing information about his #coronavirus test result.https://t.co/KNIoFOtAj9

— The Hindu (@the_hindu) June 24, 2021

Shihab was also sentenced to 8 months imprisonment in May for violating health protocols by holding a large gathering on the occasion of his daughter’s marriage. He tested positive during this gathering and was hospitalised for the treatment. However, hospital officials kept this a secret.