Irwan Firdaus, Jakarta – The editor-in-chief of Playboy Indonesia was acquitted Thursday of charges that he violated the Muslim nation's indecency laws by publishing pictures of scantily clothed women.

Erwin Arnada had faced a maximum punishment of nearly three years in prison in a case closely watched by strict Muslims, who have loudly protested since the toned-down version of the American magazine hit Indonesian newsstands a year ago.

Efran Basyuning, presiding judge of the South Jakarta District Court, said pictures of scantily dressed women, some in underwear with their breasts partially exposed, could not be categorized as pornography under the country's criminal law.

Arnada called the ruling was a victory for free speech. "Playboy Indonesia is grateful to the readers and advertisers who have supported the magazine through this difficult time," he told reporters.

Outside the courthouse, a protest erupted involving about 100 members of the Islamic Defenders' Front, a small group with a history of attacking bars and nightclubs. More than 600 police officers armed with two water cannons stood by in case of violence.

"This is a bitter pill," said one demonstrator, Bachtiar Ali. "Do we have to wait until our wives and daughters are raped? We will keep fighting. Pornography as a moral crime that destroys the nation's faith."

Conservative Muslims smashed up Playboy's offices in south Jakarta after the magazine was launched. The magazine kept publishing, but moved its editorial offices to mostly Hindu Bali island.

Indonesia is a secular country with more Muslims than any other in the world, some 190 million. While most practice a moderate form of the faith, fundamentalists have been pushing hard to impose strict Islamic law.

Pornographic films on video, though illegal, also are sold more or less openly at stores across the country and some magazines are more sexually graphic than Playboy.