JAKARTA — The editor of Playboy Indonesia has been acquitted of distributing and profiting from indecent photos in a legal review after being sentenced to two years in jail by the country’s Supreme Court last year.
Although the local editor’s magazine contained no nudity, growing pressure from Islamist groups for a more restrictive society was reportedly the driving force behind Erwin Arnada’s sentencing.
Indonesia passed an anti-porn law in 2008 that critics saw as a threat to the country’s reputaion for tolerance and free speech.
Arnada remains in prison but his release is expected soon.
"We have received a confirmation from the Supreme Court that it has granted a judicial review of Erwin Arnada," lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis told Reuters. "It shows that it is committed to uphold press freedom in Indonesia."
The lawyer said he had not been told why Arnada was acquitted.
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