Ulma Haryanto – Members of the hardline Islamic Defenders Front assaulted four people in the basement of the Constitutional Court on Wednesday on the last day of arguments in a case seeking to overturn the country's controversial 1965 Blasphemy Law.

Witnessed by the Jakarta Globe, the violence began when members of the group, known as the FPI, observed a lawyer, Sidik, and Novel, a member of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), attempting to photograph the group's confrontation with two other lawyers.

Sidik, a member of the petitioners' legal team, also known as the Religious Freedom Advocacy Team, said he observed several men clad in the FPI's Arabic-style uniforms intimidating colleagues Uli Sihombing and Nurkholis Hidayat near the cafeteria and prayer room during a two-hour lunch break.

"I caught some FPI people intimidating Uli and Nurkholis and I wanted to take pictures as proof that there had been intimidation," Sidik told reporters. "But one of them saw me with the camera, and took the camera away from me."

Nurkholis corroborated the account, saying the two were having lunch in the cafeteria when several FPI members began questioning them. "They asked us if we were Muslims or not," Nurkholis said.

All four were held with arms around their necks and punched and kicked by the FPI members.

While Nurkholis and Uli ran toward an elevator, Sidik and Novel ran toward a ramp that leads to the main entrance of the building, and were followed by angry FPI supporters.

"The police saw me get beaten and kicked at, but somehow they did not arrest anyone," Sidik said. "I think they clearly saw who did it."

About 50 FPI supporters gathered in front of the entrance after police escorted Sidik and Novel to safety.

The crowd stayed for several minutes, condemning the people for seeking a revision of the law and the police who had stopped them. "I told them that I am a Muslim, too," one officer told the Globe.