Indonesia sentences British woman to six months for slapping official

A British woman has been sentenced to six months in prison for slapping an immigration officer on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali after missing her flight due to an expired visa.

Video showing Auj-e Taqaddas purportedly cursing and hitting an officer at Bali’s international airport went viral last year. She was sentenced on Wednesday and has decided to appeal.

The footage appears to show the 43-year-old throwing a lengthy tantrum after being asked to pay a fine of about £3,500 for overstaying her visa and missing her flight.

She was charged with violent behaviour against a government official.

During the trial that began in December, Taqaddas, who pleaded not guilty, said the video had been edited.

After being sentenced in Denpasar District Court, Taqaddas said the court was corrupt and she had been tortured by police three times including on Wednesday.

She was arrested before the trial in a shopping mall after failing to appear in court several times.

“This is a sham court who was only listening to the dirty prosecutor who did not bring me to the court for six months,” said Taqaddas.

As two officials escorted her from court, she shouted: “Indonesia is a criminal country. Indonesian law is corrupt. Indonesian judges are corrupt. No lawyer was provided. Indonesian immigration is corrupt.”