An Indonesian court has sentenced Jakarta's governor to two years in prison for blasphemy.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, said he will appeal the decision.

The Christian politician in the world's most populous Muslim country was accused of blasphemy during his re-election campaign last year when a video surfaced of him telling voters they were being deceived if they believed a specific verse in the Quran prohibited Muslims from electing a non-Muslim as leader.

Purnama's popularity plummeted after the charges, and he eventually lost the election in a runoff vote last month. </s> Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", sits on the defendant's chair at the start of his trial hearing at North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Reuters

The blasphemy trial of the Indonesian capital’s minority Christian governor began on Tuesday after massive protests led by hard-line Muslim groups seeking his arrest.

Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, an ally of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.

The blasphemy controversy erupted in September when a video circulated online in which Mr. Ahok said people were being deceived if they believed his detractors who asserted that the Quran prohibits Muslims having a non-Muslim leader. He is seeking a second term as governor in elections due February.

A November 4 protest in Jakarta against Mr. Ahok turned violent, with one death and dozens injured. </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian court on Tuesday sentenced the minority Christian governor of Jakarta to two years in prison for blaspheming the Quran, a shock decision that undermines the country’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

The five-judge panel said Gov. Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama was “convincingly proven guilty of blasphemy” and ordered his arrest. However Ahok immediately announced he would appeal the guilty verdict and sentence.

Outside the court in north Jakarta, supporters of Ahok wept and hugged each other amid shouts of jubilation from members of conservative Islamic groups.

The lead judge said the trial was a purely criminal one and the court disagreed that there were political aspects to the case.

The blasphemy accusation against Ahok was a decisive factor in his defeat to a Muslim candidate in last month’s election for Jakarta governor. It sparked massive anti-Ahok protests in the city, boosting hard-line Islamic groups that said it would be a sin for Muslims to vote for a non-Muslim.

The two-year prison sentence was a surprise outcome after prosecutors had recommended two years of probation.

The maximum sentence for blasphemy in Muslim-majority Indonesia is five years in prison.

The lead judge, Dwiarso Budi Santiarto, said Ahok’s comment during the election campaign that people were being deceived if they believed the Quran forbids Muslims from voting for non-Muslims had degraded and insulted Islam.

“As part of a religious society, the defendant should be careful to not use words with negative connotations regarding the symbols of religions including the religion of the defendant himself,” he said. </s> Jakarta: There has been a new twist in the blasphemy saga gripping Indonesia with Islamic hardliner Habib Rizieq reported to police for allegedly insulting Christianity during a sermon on Christmas Day. The latest drama came as the North Jakarta District Court ruled it would proceed with the blasphemy trial of Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, who is facing a maximum five years' jail for allegedly insulting Islam.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Age. </s> Ahok is currently on trial on accusation of blasphemy following his remark about a pas... . Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama arrives for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at News9 Oklahoma City. </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Prosecutors on Thursday recommended two years of probation for the minority Christian governor of the Indonesian capital who is on trial for blaspheming the Quran.

The relatively light sentencing demand comes a day after Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama was swept out of office by a landslide election victory for a Muslim rival backed by conservative clerics.

The maximum penalty for blasphemy in Muslim-majority Indonesia is five years in prison. Prosecutors recommended one year prison if Ahok violates his probation.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama takes his seat for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Ahok is currently 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 Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)

Ahok was accused of blasphemy last year when a video surfaced of him telling voters they were being deceived if they believed a specific verse in the Quran prohibited Muslims from electing a non-Muslim as leader.

Hard-line Islamic groups attracted hundreds of thousands to anti-Ahok protests in Jakarta, shaking the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama arrives for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Ahok is currently 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 Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama takes his seat for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Ahok is currently 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 Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool) </s> Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", center, sits on the defendant's chair at the start of his trial hearing at North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016. 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 Photo/Tatan Syuflana, Pool)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The minority Christian governor of Indonesia's capital sobbed in court Tuesday on the first day of his blasphemy trial as he recalled the role of Muslim godparents in his childhood and said he would never intentionally insult Islam.

The national upheaval over the governor's alleged blasphemy has challenged Indonesia's reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam, shaken the government and exposed religious and racial fault lines in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Protests against Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, led by hard-liners and which drew hundreds of thousands of people, have kept Jakarta, the capital, on edge in the past six weeks. A Nov. 4 protest there turned violent, with one death and dozens of police and protesters injured.

Ahok, an ally of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, faces up to five years in prison if found guilty. He is the first ethnic Chinese governor of Jakarta and the first Christian in more than half a century.

"As a person who grew up among Muslims, it is not possible for me to intentionally insult Islam because that is the same as disrespecting the people I appreciate and love," Ahok said.

He broke down in tears twice while making his statement, in which he talked about the affection of his godparents and remembered how he helped poor Indonesians perform the Hajj pilgrimage when he was a district chief a decade ago.

The blasphemy controversy erupted in September when a video circulated online in which Ahok lightheartedly said that people were being deceived if they believed his detractors who asserted that the Quran prohibits Muslims from having a non-Muslim leader. He is seeking a second term as governor in elections due in February.

State Prosecutor Ali Mukartono told the court that Ahok insulted Islam and desecrated the Quran by using one of its verses to fool people and boost his chances of winning the Jakarta election.

In his statement, Ahok said that his comments were not an interpretation of the Quran and that he was only referring to certain politicians "who exploited the verses incorrectly because they do not want to compete fairly in the election competition."

Several hundred members of anti- and pro-Ahok groups gathered outside the court, but were kept apart by police. The trial, which is being broadcast live, could take two to three months.

Ahok's lawyers asked the five-judge panel to throw the case out and the trial was then adjourned until Dec. 20.

Police investigators and religious experts were divided about whether Ahok should be prosecuted, but the case proceeded as political pressure on the government mounted. </s> Anger as Indonesian Christian Governor Is Jailed for Blasphemy Against Islam

The governor of Jakarta, popularly known as "Ahok", was jailed for two years for allegedly making anti-Quran comments. </s> Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama arrives for his court hearing in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. — Reuters pic

JAKARTA, April 20 — Indonesian prosecutors called today for Jakarta’s Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, to be jailed for one-year on blasphemy charges, in a trial that is seen as a test of the Muslim-majority nation’s religious tolerance.

Purnama, 50, is heading for defeat in his bid to remain governor in this week’s election against Muslim opponent Anies Baswedan after a bitterly fought campaign that saw hundreds of thousands of Muslims protest against the incumbent for allegedly insulting Islam.

Purnama has denied the blasphemy charges and a verdict is expected in coming weeks. — Reuters
Former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", is found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in prison. The accusation that he insulted the Quran sparked large protests last November.