Jakarta’s Christian ex-governor to withdraw appeal of blasphemy sentence

May 23, 2017 - 1:07 PM
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Then Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama sits in the defendant's chair at the start of his blasphemy trial. (Reuters)

Jakarta’s former Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama will withdraw an appeal against his controversial two-year jail sentence for insulting Islam in Muslim-majority Indonesia, his sister said on Tuesday.

Fify Letty Indra, who is Purnama’s younger sister and a member of his legal team, made the comments in a news conference given by members of his family and lawyers.

Purnama, an ethnic Chinese popularly known as “Ahok,” was jailed on May 9 for a longer-than-expected jail term in a ruling that critics fear will embolden hardline Islamist forces to challenge secularism in Indonesia.