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Ahok being tried by the mob: Lawyer
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Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama sits in the defendant's chair at the start of his trial at a Central Jakarta court building on Tuesday. Ahok is on trial for blasphemy. (AP/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)
T
he legal team of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama referred to Ahok’s hearing on Tuesday as a “trial by mob” following large-scale demonstrations against the governor.
"Indonesian citizens have witnessed public pressure in this case [as demonstrators] filled the protocol roads. This has led the irregular acceleration of Ahok's legal process," lawyer Trimoelja D. Soerjadi read the objection note, referring to large-scale protests on Oct. 14, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 against Ahok over allegations of blasphemy.
(Read also: Police to deploy thousands of personnel to secure Ahok’s trial)
Trimoelja criticized the police’s swift action in investigating Ahok's case. After naming him a suspect on Nov. 16, police submitted Ahok's case dossier to the Attorney General's Office (AGO) on Nov. 25.
He also highlighted that within three working days, the AGO declared that Ahok's 826-page dossier was complete.
He also cited a statement from National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian in which he said police had set aside a circular letter issued in 2015 that ordered police to postpone investigations into election candidates until the end of an election, to speed up the legal process against Ahok.
"It makes sense to assume that this public pressure aimed to cut Ahok from the election. This is a real threat to democracy in the country," he said. (jun)
