Indonesia: Jakarta governor to receive trial verdict on May 9

Event

The North Jakarta District Court judges announced on Tuesday, April 25, that a verdict in the trial of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama would be announced on Tuesday, May 9. Purnama is due to appear in the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters in South Jakarta on May 9 to hear the verdict. His charge was downgraded from blasphemy to harassment on April 20, which prompted hundreds of thousands of hardline Muslims to rally, demanding that the harsher charge be maintained. Further demonstrations are possible ahead of the verdict, as well as outside the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters in South Jakarta on May 9. The police will enhance security in Jakarta in the days preceding and during the May 9 session.

Context

Purnama conceded defeat on Thursday, April 20, in the second round of Jakarta's gubernatorial elections held on April 19. His Muslim opponent Anies Baswedan led the race with 58 percent of the vote versus Purnama's 42 percent according to preliminary results. Official results will not be announced until May. Jakarta's gubernatorial race is widely seen as a proxy for the presidential elections scheduled for 2019. Becoming governor of Jakarta is often seen as a first step toward winning the presidency. Purnama, a Christian member of the country's ethnic Chinese Indonesian minority and the first ethnically Chinese governor, was initially charged with blasphemy after misquoting a verse from the Quran. The controversy sparked a number of large protests.

Advice

Individuals present in Jakarta are advised to avoid demonstrations and public gatherings, to anticipate a significant security presence and transportation disruptions in the vicinity of all rallies, and to follow any instructions issued by local authorities.