Read the story in Bahasa Indonesia
When the "iced coffee murderer" Jessica Kumala Wongso was released from an Indonesian prison, she left with a smile on her face and headed straight to a press conference.
"Today, I'm thankful because I have been released from prison to see family, friends, and attorneys who are like family," the 36-year-old Indonesian and former Australian resident told the media.
"Thanks for your prayers and support … it means a lot and has helped me survive."
Since getting out on parole earlier this month after serving eight years of her 20-year sentence, Ms Wongso has also been interviewed on television and been a guest on a podcast.
The court of public opinion appears to have changed its verdict on Ms Wongso, thanks at least in part to a sympathetic Netflix documentary released last year.
However, the "sensationalist" film has been criticised for lacking journalistic rigour and balance.
Found guilty of murder with cyanide
After a four-month trial in 2016, Ms Wongso was found guilty of the premeditated murder of her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin by putting cyanide in Ms Salihin's coffee.
In January that year, Ms Wongso and Ms Salihin had coffee together at Olivier, an upscale cafe in the Grand Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta.
CCTV footage captured Ms Wongso arriving about an hour before Ms Salihin and another friend.
After ordering an iced coffee for Ms Salihin, Ms Wongso was seen arranging a number of shopping bags around the drink, blocking the view of the CCTV cameras.
When Ms Salihin arrived, she tasted the drink, then collapsed into convulsions and started foaming at the mouth. She died on the way to the hospital.
Ms Salihin's family did not allow a full autopsy due to their religious beliefs, so her stomach, liver and urine were the only things that were tested.
The prosecution said 298 milligrams of cyanide was found in the drink.
The trial was a huge public spectacle at the time, with most people convinced of Ms Wongso's guilt.
Documentary changes opinions
However, a Netflix true crime documentary titled Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso, released last year, claimed to delve into the "unanswered questions" surrounding the trial.
It triggered new public conversations in the mainstream media and online. Ms Wongso's lawyer was invited on podcasts by influencers and a group of supporters even held a prayer vigil for her.
Some said the documentary shifted their opinions.
"Saw Ice Cold, I'm starting to believe Jessica deserves a fair and proper trial," said a user on social media platform X.
"Everyone was biased towards her. Even the police statement."
Meanwhile, others remained unconvinced.
"These kids just watched Ice Cold but suddenly were pro-Jessica even though the original story is so detailed and long it wasn't included in the documentary," said another user on X.
"As someone who used to skip lectures to watch the trial on TV, I'm disappointed."
Indonesian film expert Hikmat Darmawan said the public's opinion on the case "significantly" changed before and after the documentary was released.
"There was a very negative sentiment towards the alleged perpetrator [before the documentary came out]," Mr Darmawan told ABC.
"But now there are people who believe she was innocent, and people who are not sure if the court proceeding was rightly executed."
Documentary 'sensationalistic'
However, Mr Darmawan also criticised the two-hour documentary, saying its approach was "sensationalistic".
"From the start [the documentary] wasn't done with a truth-seeking discipline, no journalistic discipline," he said.
"There are so many problematic creative choices in that movie."
While he did not note any factual inaccuracies, he said the film's narrative was built upon questions that were not fully explored.
"The main goal of Ice Cold is to arouse emotions," he said
"While the filmmakers are not making specific claims, the series of questions and emotional framing appear to lead the audience in a certain direction."
Mr Darmawan said audiences should not take the documentary at face value, but rather understand it is catered to the entertainment film market, playing on the audience's emotions with "melodramatic" elements.
"We have to think critically about this film, or maybe challenge creatives to build a narrative that is more … disciplined [journalistic truth telling]."
The ABC has approached Beach House Pictures which produced the documentary for comment.
Even though Mr Darmawan said the Netflix documentary was flawed, he said it was good to build critical thinking towards Indonesia's legal institutions.
"There is a general dissatisfaction with the law process in our country, and that is seen in the case of … Ice Cold," he said.
Mr Darmawan added that popular opinion often had an influence on legal proceedings.
Documentary didn't impact release
However, criminal law expert Maria Silvya Wangga said public opinion would have had no influence on Ms Wongso getting released early.
According to Indonesian law, criminals sentenced to prison for more than nine months can be given parole after serving two-thirds of their sentence.
However, this doesn't apply to those serving life imprisonment or death sentences.
Ms Wongso also got remission of nearly five years for good behaviour.
"Jessica's case just happened to have gained public attention … many other prisoners are also eligible for remissions, known as parole," Ms Wangga said.
Ms Wongso's lawyer, Otto Hasibuan, told local media his client met the requirement for good behaviour from teaching English and yoga in prison.
A condition on Ms Wongso's parole is that she remain in Jakarta until 2032.
In the press conference after her release, she said she did not have anything planned and had "forgiven everyone who wronged" her.
