Remainder of Ahok's trial to be covered live

JAKARTA. The North Jakarta District Court will allow live coverage of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama's blasphemy trail as of the next hearing.

Presiding judge Dwiarso Budi Santiarto said Tuesday night that as both the prosecution and the defense legal team had presented all of their evidence, the court would not continue to ban live coverage.

"By April 11, the trial will be past the evidence presentation stage and so cameras will be allowed in the courtroom to air live coverage," Dwiarso said.

Prosecutors are expected to make their sentence demand next Tuesday, while Ahok is scheduled to read out his defense statement on April 17, just two days before voting in the runoff to the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

As stated by presiding judge Dwiarso in the judges’ interlocutory decision in December, during hearings in which evidence was to be presented, TV stations could not cover the trial live to avoid public controversy.

Ahok previously said he hoped there would be live coverage of his trial so the legal proceedings would be fair and transparent. (Indra Budiari)