The blasphemy charges that cost Indonesia\u2019s top Christian politician his re-election race won\u2019t send him to jail.<\/p>\n
Just a day after Basuki Purnama\u2014popularly known as Ahok\u2014conceded the runoff for governor of Jakarta, prosecutors recommended a light sentence of two years probation instead of the maximum penalty of five years in prison.<\/p>\n
Ahok, a double minority in the archipelago as a Christian and as an Indonesian citizen who is ethnically Chinese, secured approval ratings as high as 70 percent in the capital region during his campaign. But when the anti-corruption crusader was accused of distorting a Qur\u2018an teaching to convince the nation\u2019s overwhelming Muslim majority to vote for a Christian, public opinion shifted dramatically.<\/p>\n
Ahok repeatedly denied the claims as a translation error, and accused Indonesia\u2019s hardline Muslim groups of coordinating an attack against him. He ultimately conceded Wednesday\u2019s election, trailing in the polls by less than 10 percentage points.<\/p>\n