Indonesia conservatives call for jailing of Christian governor


:: Thousands of Muslims took to the streets of the Indonesian capital on Friday to call for the jailing of its minority Christian governor who is facing blasphemy charges.

At least several thousand protesters marched after Friday prayers at Istiqlal Mosque in central Jakarta until reaching the nearby Supreme Court building.

The protest comes just days before a district court announces its verdict in Gov. Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s blasphemy trial.

Some of the protesters held flags, banners and placards that said “Justice must be upheld.”

Prosecutors last month recommended a two-year suspended prison sentence for Ahok. The relatively light sentencing demand was made a day after Ahok was defeated by a landslide election victory for a Muslim rival backed by conservative clerics. Ahok’s term as governor ends in October.

The maximum penalty for blasphemy in Muslim-majority Indonesia is five years in prison. Prosecutors recommended one-year prison if Ahok violates his probation.

“We are here because we are disappointed with prosecutors who were blind and deaf to the aspirations of Muslims,” said Bahruddin Rabbani, a boarding school teacher from Banten, a neighboring province of Jakarta.

Conservative groups have attracted hundreds of thousands to anti-Ahok protests in Jakarta, shaking the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“We want to see the blasphemer of Islam in jail,” said another protester, Ahmad Salman.

A verdict from the five-judge panel is expected on Tuesday.













Algeria ruling coalition wins legislative elections
UN chief ‘encouraged’ by deal on Syria safe zones
Powered by : © 2014 Systron Micronix :: Leaders in Web Hosting. All rights reserved

| About Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Disclaimer | Contact Us |