It's been three long months since the dispute about Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama alleged religious blasphemy first surfaced, sparking daily controversies and creating tension both online and in real life. Five hearing sessions and countless stories on the case's developments later, people are beginning to wonder: when will this end?
Unfortunately, not anytime soon.
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Jakarta Police Chief Ins. Gen. M. Iriawan said that the trial is predicted to conclude in April or May.
"The discussion between the judges and I concluded that it [the trial] would last long, he said in a press conference on Tuesday.
It can go on until April or May due to the number of witnesses [involved]. There are 46 incriminating witnesses [in total]. If we have four on each weekly trial, that alone would take more than eight weeks. There are also expert witnesses, [the defendant's]right to answer, closing statements, and defense arguments, he said.
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Hearings are scheduled every Tuesday.
Iriawan promised that the police will provide maximum security to escort every trial sessions until the very end.
"We have figured out the security pattern needed since the first trial in Gajah Mada until the one in Ragunan, and thank God everything worked well, he added.
We are assisted by the military and local government. The most important thing is to get the trial go as planned.