Ahok BTP’s Release Becomes International Media Spotlight

Jakarta, MINA – A number of international foreign media highlighted the released Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (BTP) on Thursday (1/24) this morning. Ahok (the nick name of BTP) was free after serving a sentence of one year eight months and 15 days in Mako Brimob, Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java, over cases of blasphemy.

“Ahok, the former governor of Jakarta, was released after a prison sentence for blasphemy,” the Guardian edition said Thursday.

The Guardian wrote that Indonesian politician BTP was released amid rumors of a likely he tried to revive his political destiny. “The former Governor of Jakarta, Indonesia who was jailed for blasphemy in 2017 has been released,” the BBC said in its news.

The Straits Times wrote Ahok out of prison at 7:30 and was greeted by his son. Some of his supporters also waited for him to be release. “A number of Ahok supporters dressed in red, blue and white gathered outside Mako Brimob in Depok, South Jakarta, awaiting his release,” Straits Times said.

“Before his release, there were media reports and lots of talk about his future, including being invited to speak in several countries,” the media continued.

Reuters news agency also reported the release of Ahok this morning. While France24 gave Ahok a release and told about Ahok’s childhood being raised with a strict father. Ahok was born into a wealthy family on the island of Belitung in western Indonesia, and studied Geology at a university in Jakarta, before returning to his village and running a business.

His father urged him to use his talent to help those who were less fortunate, and he entered local politics in 2004.

He was elected as a member of the national parliament in 2009 and met Joko Widodo. Then they nominated for the 2012 DKI Jakarta Governor Election and won with Jokowi as governor and Ahok as deputy governor. (T/hnh/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)