Ahok withdraws appeal against blasphemy jail term

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

The former Christian governor of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, has withdrawn an appeal against a two-year jail sentence for insulting Islam, according to his family and lawyers.At a news conference on Tuesday, Purnama's tearful wife, Veronica Tan, read out a letter in which the former governor thanked supporters and those who were praying for him, or sending flowers, letters and books.

"I know this is not easy for you to accept this reality, let alone me, but I have learned to forgive and accept all this," he said in the letter, adding that he had dropped his appeal "for the sake of our people and nation".

"It is not right to protest against each other in the process I am going through now," Purnama said in the letter, saying he was concerned that his supporters could be involved in clashes with parties opposing him.

The verdict, which was harsher than expected, triggered an outpouring of anger and support among Purnama's supporters, with many attending a number of protests and candle-lit vigils in cities across Indonesia and abroad, including in Amsterdam, Toronto and Melbourne.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese popularly known Ahok, was found guilty of blasphemy on May 9 over comments he made regarding what he believed to be the misinterpretation of certain verses of the Quran.

Read also: Jakarta's Governor, Ahok gets two years jail term over anti-islam speech