Criminal Liability Of Perpetrators Of Sara Related Cyber Crime Following The Entry Into Force Of The National Criminal Code
Keywords:
Criminal Liability, Cyber Crime, Hate Speech, SARA, National Criminal CodeAbstract
Digital expansion has broadened expression while heightening the risk of hate speech based on ethnicity, religion, race, and inter-group relations (SARA). The issue has grown more complex since the National Criminal Code (Law Number 1 of 2023) took effect on 2 January 2026, coexisting with the 2024 amendment to the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law. This article analyses the construction of the offence and criminal liability for SARA-related cyber crime, the relationship between Article 28(2) jo. Article 45A(2) of the ITE Law and Articles 242–243 of the National Criminal Code, and the limits set by Constitutional Court Decisions Number 105/PUU-XXII/2024 and 115/PUU-XXII/2024. Using normative juridical research with statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, the study draws on legislation, Constitutional Court decisions, and recent reputable journals. Findings show Article 28(2) is no longer complete upon mere distribution; Decision 105 requires substantive identity-based hatred, intent, public conduct, and a genuine risk of discrimination, hostility, or violence, while Article 243 governs technology-mediated statements against a group. Liability thus demands proof of intent, targeted identity, context, and genuine risk. The article proposes a harmonisation model based on narrow lex specialis, constitutional avoidance, and risk-based thresholds to prevent overcriminalisation while protecting targeted groups.
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