Islamic hardliners outside the Jakarta court shouted "God is greatest!" as news came through that Basuki Tjahaja Purnama would be sent to prison for insulting Islam Air Huarache All Red , a surprisingly harsh punishment after prosecutors recommended only probation.
Purnama, Jakarta's first non-Muslim governor for half a century and its first ethnic Chinese leader, looked calm when the verdict was announced and said he would appeal, as some of his supporters in court burst into tears.
He was immediately transferred to jail and authorities said his deputy would take over running Jakarta for the final few months of his term. Hundreds of his supporters descended on the prison shouting "Free Ahok" -- Purnama's nickname -- and shook the gate of the facility.
The 50-year-old was hauled into court last year to face trial on charges of insulting the Koran while campaigning for re-election, after the blasphemy accusations sparked a series of mass protests in Jakarta spearheaded by radical groups and encouraged by his rivals.
Tuesday's jail sentence and his loss last month to a Muslim challenger in the Jakarta vote Air Huarache All Black , which he had once been favorite to win, has fuelled fears that hardliners are growing increasingly influential and that the country's much-vaunted tolerant brand of Islam is under threat.
"It's another big step in the slow decline of religious freedom in Indonesia," said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher for Human Rights Watch, after Purnama was jailed.
"If someone of that political stature can be charged and sent to prison Air Huarache All White , what will happen to others?"
Indonesia, 90 percent of whose 255 million people are Muslim, has a long tradition of pluralistic values and is home to substantial populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. But there has been a rise in attacks on minorities in recent years.
BALI, Indonesia Air Huarache Gold , Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) need to fast track sustainable development policies and implement them now, said a top environmental expert here on Sunday.
The sustainable development forum that took place on the sidelines of APEC meetings launched two initiatives with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN) to gather together scientists, academics, think tanks and organizations to formulate solutions to climate change challenges in Indonesia as well as the larger Asia Pacific region.