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Ahok's second hearing to remain at North Jakarta District Court: Police
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Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama sits in the defendant's seat at the start of his hearing at the North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta on Dec. 13. Ahok is on trial on accusation of blasphemy following his remark about a passage in the Quran that could be interpreted as prohibiting Muslims from accepting non-Muslims as leaders. (AP/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)
T
he Jakarta Police confirmed Monday that the second hearing in the blasphemy trial of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama would remain at the North Jakarta District Court, which was temporarily located on Jl. Gajah Mada in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Raden Prabowo Argo Wiyono said on Monday authorities were forced to hold Ahok’s trial at the North Jakarta District Court again despite protest threats by supporters of both pro and anti-Ahok groups after authorities were unable to find an alternative location where the trial could be moved to.
“We have not yet received a final word from the court [on the trial’s venue]. We will secure the place [the North Jakarta District Court], anyway,” Raden said.
Responding to journalists’ questions about security measures taken ahead of the trial, Raden said the police would still observe developments on the ground before they decided on the number of personnel they would deploy.
"We will look at the intelligence's finding," he added.
Ahok has been a blasphemy suspect ever since a video that showed him mentioning a Quranic verse went viral last month, triggering uproar among some Islamic organizations that considered his remark blasphemous.
The first hearing of the case was met by demonstrations staged by several Islamic groups outside the court’s building. The police reportedly deployed around 2,000 personnel to secure the area. (ebf)
