I Wayan Sudirta was talking to reporters when Veronica Tan, wife of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, more commonly known as Ahok, arrived at the North Jakarta District Court last Monday afternoon. Thirty minutes earlier he had just finished handing over his 196-page counter-brief in Basuki’s name to the court clerk.

Without any prior warning, Veronica had asked for the appeal to be withdrawn. "Because his family asked for it, with Ahok’s agreement, I