The outgoing governor of Jakarta has shocked the capital by withdrawing an appeal against his two-year jail sentence for blasphemy against Islam within minutes of it being filed.
Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's own lawyer confessed he was flummoxed by his client's decision.
"As for the reason for the withdrawal we don't know yet," lawyer Wayan Sudirta told Fairfax Media.
Ahok, a popular reformist governor, was jailed for two years after he made comments during his election campaign that a Jakarta court found were blasphemous.
Ahok had told fishermen they were being deceived by his political foes who used a verse in the Koran to argue Muslims should not have a non-Muslim leader.
He later repeatedly apologised but the remarks also cost him victory in the gubernatorial election in April, despite high approval ratings for his performance while governor.
The two-year jail sentence was far harsher than that requested by the prosecutors, who asked for a suspended jail sentence for the lesser charge of inciting hatred.
The outcome of the trial was seen as a triumph for creeping conservative Islamism in Indonesia and candle-lit vigils were held across the archipelago lamenting Ahok's downfall.
Remarkably the prosecution itself appealed, complaining the panel of five judges had ignored their request he be found guilty of the lesser charge of inciting hatred.
Mr Sudirta said Ahok's principle in life was to place the interest of the nation ahead of his own.
"That's his way of life, he wants to serve the people, believe in the Bible, believe in God's plan," Mr Sudirta said.
"If those were some of the reasons behind the withdrawal ... I don't know yet."
He said Ahok defended Pancasila, the state ideology that stresses belief not in one religion but in one God, and the national motto of unity in diversity.
A press conference will be held on Tuesday to explain Ahok's decision.
Ahok has reportedly been reading the Bible and writing to stave off the loneliness of a life behind bars.
"Who knows, he may produce quality writing in prison, just like (Indonesia's first president) Sukarno," his sister Fify Lety Indra, a lawyer who represented Ahok in court, told The Jakarta Post.
Mr Sudirta said Ms Fify and Ahok's wife, Veronica Tan, approached him at the North District Jakarta Court on Monday and conveyed they had new information from Ahok indicating he wished to withdraw the appeal.
"(We asked): 'Have the family agreed?'" Mr Sudirta said. "They said yes. Then we asked 'What to do now?'"
He said the legal team had asked for a reason, given they had some explaining to do before the court.
"But since we were in the middle of the courtroom, it was not appropriate to discuss matters with our client. People could hear us."
Mr Sudirta did not know if the prosecution would also withdraw their appeal.
"We have never communicated with them, it's not ethical for us to intervene. If they decide to withdraw than this will not go to the High Court, as long as they withdrew before a ruling is made."
Chief prosecutor Ali Mukartono told Fairfax Media: "Today we have not received any official statement from North Jakarta District Court, so as prosecutors we do not have a position on it yet. We will wait for the development later."
The withdrawal was soon trending on social media on Monday night, with some arguing Ahok's sacrifice would be remembered, while others said he was afraid of getting more than two years' jail.
Dr Melissa Crouch, an expert in Indonesia's blasphemy laws, said Ahok's case illustrated many of the turf battles going on in Indonesia.
"His case is not just a battle between Islamists and the secular state, but also between rival legal institutions," said Dr Crouch, a senior lecturer from the University of NSW.
"The Ahok case now seems to have fallen into this mess, and the appeal could be a battle between the public prosecution and the courts in Indonesia."
Dr Crouch said the prosecutor would usually only appeal a case if it thought that the sentence was insufficiently harsh. "In Ahok's case, the prosecution is really just trying to uphold its image, and perhaps in addition seek the suspended sentence. (This is) a battle that the public prosecution is potentially likely to lose."
She said if the High Court maintained Ahok was guilty of blasphemy, it could in fact increase his penalty.
"Perhaps the only thing stopping the court from doing so would be the international image of Indonesia's courts. But it may be that domestic institutional rivalry is a more influential factor than international opinion."
