Jakarta's former Christian governor to withdraw appeal of blasphemy sentence

Jakarta's former Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama will withdraw an appeal against his controversial two-year jail sentence for insulting Islam in Muslim-majority Indonesia, his sister said on Tuesday.

Fify Letty Indra, who is Purnama's younger sister and a member of his legal team, made the comments in a news conference given by members of his family and lawyers.

Purnama, an ethnic Chinese popularly known as "Ahok", was jailed on May 9 for a longer-than-expected jail term in a ruling that critics fear will embolden hardline Islamist forces to challenge secularism in Indonesia.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)