[JURIST] The Governor of Jakarta, Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, an open Christian, has been named by police as a suspect in a blasphemy investigation [Guardian report]. The announcement follows increasing protests calling for the governor’s arrest as he has been accused of disrespecting the Koran on his campaign trail [BBC report]. If convicted, Purnama could receive up to five years in prison. Currently Purnama is not allowed to travel abroad as he faces trial.

Earlier this year a sharia high court in Nigeria sentenced cleric Abdulaziz Dauda and nine others to death [JURIST report] by hanging for committing blasphemy against the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. In February a Pakistani man was executed for his part in murdering a politician [JURIST report] who supported a Christian who had been convicted of blasphemy. Later that month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Indonesian Parliament to reject proposed amendments to its law on the “eradication of terrorism.” HRW asserts that the proposed amendments are too vague [JURIST report] and would limit the exercise of free expression and directly conflict with Indonesia’s obligations to international human rights, leading to fundamental rights violations. And in 2010 HRW urged the repeal of all such laws [JURIST report].