Jakarta – Renowned lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis said Tuesday that the Constitutional Court's (MK) ruling to uphold the Blasphemy Law for its role in preventing vertical and horizontal conflicts contained misleading logic.

"The law never prevents conflict.... On the contrary, it causes conflicts by allowing certain groups of people, who claim to be defenders of formal religions, to take harsh actions," he told The Jakarta Post.

He said that religious groups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) could find legal justification in the law for their repressive actions, which violate human rights. "They act as if they are a private religious police force," he said.

He said that the Blasphemy Law disregards the freedom of religion and faith, which is acknowledged as a basic human right. "It also neglects the diversity and the plurality of our nation," said Todung.

The Constitutional Court ruled to uphold the Blasphemy Law on Monday after a judicial review was filed in October last year by petitioners comprised of human right groups and self-proclaimed backers of pluralism.

The panel of judges made a split decision with eight favoring the law. The dissenting opinion came from Justice Maria Farida Indrawati. (rdf)