Indonesian who took dog into mosque faces blasphemy case

An Indonesian woman who doctors say should receive psychiatric treatment has been named a suspect in a blasphemy case after taking a dog into a mosque.

A video circulating online in Muslim-majority Indonesia shows the dog running around a mosque in the West Java city of Bogor while the woman is confronted by angry worshippers. Many Muslims consider dogs to be impure.

Bogor police chief Andi Mochammad Dicky Pastika says the woman is a blasphemy suspect and an investigation is continuing.

Blasphemy is a criminal offense in Indonesia with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

As of Wednesday the woman is detained at a police hospital. The hospital says doctors are recommending her transfer to a psychiatric facility.

Amnesty International says the case is “unfortunate and absurd.”