Resbob sentenced to 2.5 years in prison over hate speech case

Bandung (ANTARA) - The Bandung District Court has handed down a verdict against YouTuber Muhammad Adimas Firdaus, alias Resbob, with a criminal sentence of two years and six months in prison related to a hate speech case against the Sundanese ethnic group through a live broadcast on social media.

The Chief Justice Adeng Abdul Kohar stated that the defendant was proven legally and convincingly to have committed the criminal act of broadcasting or disseminating recordings containing statements of enmity through information technology means.

“We sentence the defendant Muhammad Adimas Firdaus alias Resbob to two years and six months,” said Adeng while reading the verdict at the Bandung District Court on Wednesday.

The panel of judges also determined that the period of arrest and detention already served by the defendant would be fully deducted from the imposed sentence, and ordered the defendant to remain in custody.

In their considerations, the panel of judges took into account both aggravating and mitigating factors.

The aggravating factor was that the defendant was evasive in giving his testimony.

“The mitigating factor is that the defendant has no prior criminal record and the defendant behaved politely,” said Adeng.

During the trial, the judge gave the opportunity to the public prosecutor and the defendant’s legal counsel to file an appeal.

However, both parties stated they needed time to consider the verdict.

“I need to think about it first, Your Honour,” said Resbob in front of the panel of judges.

Previously, Resbob was charged with spreading hate speech through social media.

In the indictment, the Bandung District Prosecutor’s Office, on Monday, 8 December 2026, stated that Resbob, who was at his residence, was picked up by two friends who are now witnesses.

Resbob then uttered hate speech that spread on social media, angering the public, particularly the Sundanese ethnic group.

The prosecutor assessed that the statement fulfilled the elements of the criminal offence as regulated in Article 243 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 243 of Law No. 1 of 2026.