Jakarta's governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is escorted by anti-terror police as he leaves the North Jakarta court, yesterday.
Jakarta: An Indonesian court will decide next week whether to push forward with a controversial blasphemy trial of Jakarta's Christian governor, who is accused of insulting the Holy Quran, a judge said yesterday.
Several hundred Muslim protesters stood outside the Jakarta court, calling for the jailing of Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese politician, known by his nickname Ahok.
A rival group of his supporters unveiled a banner with a map of Indonesia calling for unity and saying "Ahok is a blessing".
A prosecution lawyer said the charges against the governor were legal and the trial should continue, dismissing a claim by the defence that naming Purnama a suspect had violated his human rights and breached procedures.
"The defendant under the prosecutors' charges has violated articles 156 and 156a ... but there was no violation of procedures," said Ali Murkatono recently, referring to the codes of the blasphemy law, which can carry a jail term of up to five years.
In an emotional court appearance a week ago, a tearful Purnama denied he had intended to insult the Holy Quran, when he was campaigning ahead of elections for Jakarta governor in February.
At the time, he criticized rival politicians for citing the Holy Quran to argue that Muslims should not vote for non-Muslims.
