Shock sentence comes after hardline Islamist groups called for Christian official to be jailed for referencing Qur’an verse

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Jakarta’s Christian governor has been sentenced to two years in prison after a trial that was widely seen as a measure of religious pluralism in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, was sentenced to two years in prison 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. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, 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 head judge, Dwiarso Budi Santiarto, told the court. In April, prosecutors called for the blasphemy counts to be dropped in exchange for a lesser charge of "spreading hate," but the judges appear to have ignored that recommendation. The two-year prison sentence was a surprise outcome after prosecutors had recommended two years of probation.
Former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", is found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in prison. The accusation that he insulted the Quran sparked large protests last November.