Yahoo – AFP, Sam Reeves, April 20, 2017
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| Jakarta's Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, arrives for his court hearing in Jakarta |
Jakarta's
Christian governor may escape jail for alleged blasphemy after prosecutors
Thursday recommended only probation, a day after he lost in a religiously
charged run-off that damaged Indonesia's image as a bastion of tolerant Islam.
The
recommendation of two years probation in the trial of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama,
with a possible one-year jail term if he commits a crime during that period,
was lighter than expected as he could have been sent to prison for several
years.
The
sentence demand for allegedly insulting Islam came after he was defeated
Wednesday by Muslim challenger Anies Baswedan who was accused of pandering to
hardliners to win votes in the race for the Jakarta governorship.
After his
victory, former government minister Baswedan celebrated with Islamic hardliners
who helped organise mass protests in the capital against the governor by
praying at a major mosque.
The
blasphemy allegations and Purnama's subsequent poll loss have sparked fears
that pluralistic traditions in the world's most populous Muslim country are
under threat from the influence of hardliners, who pushed for the governor's
prosecution.
Chief
prosecutor Ali Mukartono recommended that Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok,
be found guilty of blasphemy and be given two years probation, with a possible
one-year jail sentence.
He said a
light sentence was being recommended as Purnama had contributed to
"advancing the city of Jakarta" and had acted politely during his
trial.
Hardline
anger
"If
within the two years, Ahok doesn't commit any new criminal act, like
corruption, stealing... he will be free," his lawyer I Wayan Sudirta told
AFP.
"If
within that two years he does commit a criminal act, he has to serve the
one-year jail sentence."
A sentence
recommendation is a normal step in an Indonesian court case, and is usually
followed within weeks by a verdict.
The
controversy began in September when Purnama, known for his outspoken style,
outraged Muslims when he controversially quoted a passage from the Islamic holy
text ahead of elections for the Jakarta governorship.
He
insinuated that his opponents had used a Koranic verse to trick people into
voting against him.
An edited
version of his speech went viral online, sparking outrage far beyond Jakarta,
where Purnama has ruled since his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in
late 2014.
The
governor apologised but Indonesia's highest clerical body declared the remarks
blasphemous and urged authorities to bring charges
Before the
blasphemy controversy erupted, Purnama enjoyed a large opinion poll lead due to
his determination to clean up traffic-clogged, polluted Jakarta.
The trial
started in December and dragged on for months, with both the prosecution and
defence calling more than 40 witnesses. Purnama's team have accused the
prosecution of calling biased witnesses, saying that many were not even present
when the alleged blasphemy took place.
Critics
want the country’s blasphemy laws overhauled. The legislation was rarely used
during the 32-year rule of strongman Suharto, but in recent years it has been
exploited to persecute minorities, rights groups say.
