Authorities are pondering the possibility of changing the location of the trial of incumbent Jakarta gubernatorial candidate and blasphemy suspect Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama due to mounting concerns that protesters could swarm the court building and disrupt nearby businesses.

Ahok has been slated to stand trial on Dec. 13 at the old Central Jakarta District Court building on Jl. Gajah Mada, which is located in the heart of the country’s capital city.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has expressed concerns that Ahok’s trial would become a magnet for his opponents to stage rallies or demonstrations to push for punishment for the accused blasphemer.

He said areas near the building, which cover the State Palace, the Harmoni Central Transjakarta terminal and the Gajah Mada shopping mall, could be disrupted during the hearings.

“We will discuss an alternative place for the hearing. We are considering finding a place that is easier to guard and is further from economic activities,” Tito said on Tuesday.

He added the National Police were considering filing a recommendation for the Supreme Court to relocate Ahok’s trial.

The Supreme Court, which oversees courts across the country, has put two options on the table.

“We will study the relocation proposal from the National Police. If they want another location in Jakarta, we can use other district courts in Jakarta, but the original panel of judges will be retained,” the court’s spokesman, Suhadi, said.

The other option was to transfer the trial to a court outside Jakarta, as supported by Article 85 of the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP), Suhadi added.

The North Jakarta District Court, which is handling Ahok’s case, has assigned a panel of five judges to lead the trial. However, the trial hearings were planned to be conducted at the old Central Jakarta District Court building because the North Jakarta District Court is undergoing renovations.

In the past, the Supreme Court transferred trials of a number of notable figures to other courts outside the areas where the alleged crime had taken place.

Trials of terrorist defendants, including firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, were moved from Aceh to the South Jakarta District Court.

Also on Tuesday, a member of Ahok’s legal team, Josefina Syukur, said several experts and witnesses were prepared to help defend the beleaguered governor.

Of the witnesses, Andi Analta Amir, who has been dubbed as Ahok’s Muslim “brother” because Analta’s late father had considered Ahok his son even before Ahok became a politician, was prepared to support Ahok.

“It’s impossible Ahok would insult Islam,” Analta said.

Josefina said five people from East Belitung, Ahok’s home town, would also testify on behalf of Ahok on how he had treated Muslims when running as East Belitung regent candidate.

Separately, Judicial Commission (KY) spokesman Farid Wajdi said the commission would send five officials to monitor Ahok’s trial hearings to ensure that the panel of judges would conduct the trial according to the KUHAP.

He added that the commission had also examined the backgrounds of the five judges and found that they were clean of ethical violations.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) said it would include three Christians on the prosecution team that will handle Ahok’s trial.

Ahok will be indicted for allegedly violating articles 156 and 156a of the Criminal Code on blasphemy. He was named a suspect by the National Police on Nov. 16 after recordings of controversial remarks, which included a Quranic verse reference, went viral, instigating two large anti-Ahok demonstrations.

Ahok has repeatedly apologized, saying that he never intended to insult Muslims and the Quran. (cal)

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