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Activists defend Ahok amid prolonged blasphemy case
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Junior attorney general for general crimes Noor Rochmad (right) and Attorney General's Office (AGO) spokesperson Moh. Rum (left) announce on Nov. 30 that a dossier for a blasphemy case involving Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama was complete and ready to be sent to court. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
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number of human rights activists under the Civil Society Alliance for the Constitution (Amsik) have said Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is a victim of a crime he did not commit.
Law professor and activist from the University of Indonesia, Sulistyowati Irianto, claimed on Saturday that certain parties had fabricated Ahok’s case to affect the Jakarta governor’s popularity and impact his chances of reelection.
“Politicians and the authorities can forge articles to rule the case in their favor. Therefore, we want the judges to maintain independence in the trial,” Sulistyowati said. Ahok’s trial is scheduled for Dec. 13, with the National Police looking for a safe venue for the proceedings.
Ahok, named a blasphemy suspect on Nov. 16 because of controversial remarks about a Quranic verse, allegedly violated articles 156 and 156a of the Criminal Code (KUHP).
The chairman of human rights watchdog the Setara Institute, Hendardi, said the Attorney General's Office (AGO) had bowed to public pressure as Ahok’s dossier was hastily submitted to court in less than a week.
“The dossier consists of 826 pages; how can it be examined so fast? The AGO is like a postman that delivers a message from the police to the court,” he said. (adt/evi)
