This case relates to the infamous 'Monas Incident' (Insiden Monas). On 1 June 2008, the birthday of Pancasila ('five principles' - Indonesian state ideology), members of the National Alliance for the Freedom of Religion and Beliefs (Aliansi Kebangsaan Untuk Kebebasan Beragama dan Berkeyakinan - AKKBB), while conducting a peaceful long march from Gambir Station to Bundaran Hotel Indonesia, were attacked by members of the Islamic Defenders' Front (Front Pembela Islam - FPI) at the Indonesian National Monument (Monumen Nasional - Monas). While AKKBB claimed the march was in the name of religious freedom and putting an end to violence within religion, the FPI, led by former human rights lawyer turned 'born again' Muslim and Hizbut Tahrir member, Munarman, had heard that members of AKKBB were marching in support of Ahmadiyya. This, according to members of FPI and certain other Islamic groups assembled nearby to protest the increase in fuel prices, provided them sufficient reason to encounter the AKKBB protestors.
Those accused of physically assaulting AKKBB protesters were sentenced to one year imprisonment for contravention of art 170(2).1 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana) on the grounds they had caused damage to property or used violence to cause injury. Significantly, the defendants made no reference to laws against blasphemy to excuse their conduct.