- Title: Jakarta's former governor to drop appeal against jail term
- Date: 23rd May 2017
- Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (MAY 23, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF THE RESTAURANT, LOCATION OF NEWS CONFERENCE PREPARING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) BASUKI TJAHAJA PURNAMA'S WIFE, VERONICA TAN SAYING: "So let my husband undergo this all (his sentence) for the benefit of all, this means we will not extend our legal efforts again and we will do what has been decided, we will always support my husband to undergo this process." BASUKI TJAHAJA PURNAMA'S WIFE, VERONICA TAN AND LAWYER, FIFI LETTY INDRA AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA TAN CRYING NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) BASUKI TJAHAJA PURNAMA'S LAWYER, I WAYAN SUDIRTA SAYING: "The appeal has been withdrawn. This is for the good and necessity of the sake of the nation and country he (Basuki Tjahaja Purnama) loves." NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 6th June 2017 08:44
- Keywords: jail withdraw appeal Islam protests blasphemy sentence news conference
- Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- City: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA0016I26DL1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: **PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING**
Jakarta's former governor, a Christian, will withdraw an appeal against his controversial jailing for insulting Islam in Muslim-majority Indonesia, to allow prosecutors to appeal the sentence and calm protests, his family and lawyers said on Tuesday (May 23).
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese popularly known as "Ahok", was jailed on May 9 for a longer-than-expected term in a ruling that critics fear will embolden hardline Islamist forces to challenge secularism in Indonesia.
At a news conference, his tearful wife, Veronica Tan, read out a letter in which Purnama thanked supporters and those who were praying for him, or sending flowers, letters and books. Purnama denied the blasphemy allegation but apologized for the comments.
There have been frequent protests by supporters of the former governor in cities across the world's largest Muslim-majority country and by Indonesian students and workers abroad, following the verdict. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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