(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – The outgoing Governor of Jakarta has been sentenced to two-years in prison for blasphemy and inciting violence.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, was the first ethnic Chinese Christian to run Indonesia’s Capital, and the case was seen as a test of the country’s religious tolerance.
He was accused of insulting Islam by referring to a verse in the Koran during a campaign speech.
Mr. Purnama denied blasphemy and in court said he would mount an appeal.
The sentence is harsher than most observers had expected – prosecutors had called for a suspended one-year sentence.
The Governor was “Found to have legitimately and convincingly conducted a criminal act of blasphemy, and because of that we have imposed two years of imprisonment,” the Judge told the Court.
