A group of lawyers representing the incarcerated Shia leader Tajul Muluk submitted documents to the Constitutional Court on Friday and asked the court to annul articles in the Criminal Code on blasphemy.

They said the blasphemy articles could easily be used to persecute those who were not in line with mainstream religious beliefs.

"The blasphemy articles were abused, not only against the Shia community in Sampang [Madura], but also to Sebastian Joe in Ciamis [West Java]," lawyer Iqbal Pasaribu said, referring to Tajul Muluk, who was sent to jail for blasphemy, and Sebastian, who was now facing a trial for his Facebook status being considered as insulting to Islam.

If the court rejected this request, Iqbal said, the law should at least clearly state which institution had the authority to declare which action was blasphemous and which one was not. (nad)