Hard-line Muslim leader named in Indonesia defamation case

Published January 30, 2017

Indonesian police say the leader of a hard-line Islamic group behind massive blasphemy protests last year is a suspect in a case alleging he defamed the state ideology.

West Java police spokesman Yusri Yunus said Monday that police have sufficient evidence against Islamic Defenders Front leader Rizieq Shihab, including video and expert opinions.

The protests late last year against the minority Christian governor of Jakarta rocked the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Yunus said Rizieq's alleged offenses can be punished by prison time of more than four years.

Indonesia's state ideology Pancasila promotes five principles — belief in God, humanitarianism, nationalism, democracy and social justice. It was established by the country's founding president Sukarno.

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