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panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced on Monday two senior members of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI), Novel Bamu'€™min and Shahabudin Anggawi, to seven months in jail for inciting a riot.

The sentences, handed out in two separate hearings, were three months lighter than the 10-month sentence sought by the prosecutors during previous hearings late in March.

During the hearings, two panels of judges said the defendants were proven guilty of violating Article 160 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on provocation.

The judge presiding over Novel'€™s trial, Iim Nurohim, said the defendant'€™s behavior created public anxiety, but mitigating factors were that he had no criminal record and was polite during the trial.

'€œBased on these considerations and in according to Article 160 of the Criminal Code, the court declares the defendant guilty of provocation,'€ Iim said during the trial, which ended at dusk.

Meanwhile, the judge presiding over Shahabudin'€™s trial, Wiwik Suhartono said the defendant had been proven guilty of provoking other FPI members who were facing police officers during the rally that turned into a riot.

'€œShahab led hundreds of protesters in front of DPRD [City Council], saying, '€˜Police and Satpol PP [Public Order Agency] don'€™t stand in our way. There is no compromise for Ahok. ['€¦] Kill Ahok! Don'€™t be afraid. I will take responsibility. If you go to prison I will too ['€¦]'€™,'€ Wiwik said.

He said after hearing the provocation, a number of FPI members and the police started shoving each other in front of the DPRD gate. The FPI members then hurled stones, pieces of glass bottles and animal feces at the police. A number of police officers were injured and some cars were damaged.

The seven-month sentences were calculated from November 2014, when the defendants were first taken into custody, which means the convicts will only spend several more weeks in jail. The court gave them seven days to file an appeal.

Meanwhile, in another hearing later in the evening, the panel of judges sentenced 15 other FPI members to six months and 10 days in jail for assaulting officials. This means they will only spend five more days in prison.

Previously, the prosecutors charged Novel and Shahabudin as well as 15 other FPI members under Article 160 of the KUHP on provocation, Article 214 on assaulting officials and Article 170 on violence.

The rally took place in front of the City Council building on Oct. 3, 2014. During the protest, the radical group demanded the council cancel the inauguration of Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama as Jakarta governor.

Back then, responding to the FPI'€™s relentless protests, Ahok said he would file an official recommendation with the home and law and human rights minister to disband the notorious hard-line organization as the protests were offensive and against the 1945 Constitution. (rbk)