Jakarta governor Ahok found guilty of blasphemy
May 9, 2017
Police deployed in Jakarta as opponents demand outgoing Jakarta Governor Basuki Purnama’s dismissal and imprisonment.
An Indonesian court has found Jakarta’s outgoing Christian governor guilty of blasphemy against Islam.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, was sentenced to two years imprisonment on Tuesday in a south Jakarta courtroom over comments he made regarding what he believed to be the misinterpretation of certain verses of the Quran.
As hundreds of protesters gathered outside calling for the maximum penalty to be given, Dwiarso Budi Santiarto, the presiding judge, told the court that Purnama was “convincingly guilty of committing blasphemy”.
Purnama has denied wrongdoing, though he apologised for comments he made last year criticising his opponents’ use of the Quran in political campaigning suggesting to Muslim constituents that they cannot be governed by a person of another faith.
