Lawyers for former Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama today filed an official appeal of his conviction for blaspheming Islam, while the United Nations stepped up pressure on Indonesia to overturn the controversial sentence.
Ahok was jailed for two years earlier this month for insulting the Koran, a shock decision that has undermined a reputation for religious tolerance in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
Lawyers for Ahok, who is currently in detention, filed the appeal to the High Court in Jakarta. They believe the judges’ decision did not properly take into account testimony from defense witnesses, lawyer Ronny Talapessy told AFP
“The verdict not only stunned us and the prosecutors, the whole world was left in disbelief,” Talapessy said.
The lawyers also urged the court to release Ahok, Jakarta’s first non-Muslim governor for half a century and its first ethnic Chinese leader, on bail while his appeal is ongoing.
The sentence was widely criticized as too harsh, especially considering prosecutors had demanded that he be given just two years’ probation on a lesser charge.
Prosecutors in the case have already filed an appeal against the decision to jail Ahok as well.
The appeal came as a group of UN human rights experts urged Indonesia to free the 50-year-old and repeal the country’s blasphemy laws, which critics say have been repeatedly used to target minorities.
“We urge the government to overturn Mr. Purnama’s sentence on appeal or to extend to him whatever form of clemency may be available under Indonesian law so that he may be released from prison immediately,” said a statement from the experts, who included special rapporteurs on freedom of religion and freedom of expression.
Ahok was hauled into court last year to face trial for allegedly insulting Islam while campaigning for re-election, after the claims sparked major protests in Jakarta.
During a speech to fishermen in Jakarta’s Pulau Seribu district, Ahok quoted a passage from the Koran and said his opponents were using it to trick people into voting against him. Some interpret the verse as meaning Muslims should not vote for non-Muslim leaders.
Ahok had once been favorite to win last month’s Jakarta election but went on to lose to Muslim political challenger, Anies Baswedan, following the blasphemy claims.
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