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Lawyer team strives to ensure Ahok granted fair trial
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All ready -- Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama sits on the defendant's chair at the start of his trial hearing at North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 13. Ahok is on trial because of a blasphemy allegation following his remark about a passage in the Quran. (AP/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)
T
he lawyer team of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has said it is ready to give legal assistance both in and outside of court to the non-active governor who will begin his trial on alleged blasphemy on Tuesday.
Calling itself “Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (BTP) Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Advocacy Team”, the group of about 80 lawyers, who have been divided into two groups, said they were ready to ensure Ahok would get a fair trial.
The lawyer team’s head Sirra Prayuna said 10 to 20 lawyers had been assigned to accompany Ahok to each of his trials. Meanwhile, another 60 lawyers would work on advocacy tasks from outside of court, he explained.
“This team will collect information, data and facts related to the incident in Thousand Islands on Sept. 27,” Sirra said. He referred to Ahok’s speech, in which he cited Surah Al Maidah 51, that led to blasphemy charges.
Sirra further said the non-litigation team would also handle verification and validation processes of data, including written letters and testimonies of witnesses and experts.
“There will be a legal drafting team that will construct facts obtained during the trial, and compose them to become legal information,” the lawyer said.
“They are also assigned to input facts obtained during trials that we will later use as facts and juridical analysis materials,” he added.
The court’s judge panel, comprised of five appointed judges from the North Jakarta District Court, began Ahok’s trial held at the former Central Jakarta District Court on Jl. Gajah Mada, Central Jakarta, at 9 a.m on Tuesday.
The judges are H. Dwirso Budi Santiarto, Jupriyadi, Abdul Rosyad, Joseph V Rahantokman and I Wayan Wirjana. The first trial was scheduled to be a hearing of Ahok’s indictments. (ebf)
