Yogyakarta – Dozens of artists in Yogyakarta slammed the city administration for bringing a street artist to justice after he was arrested for drawing graffiti on the wall of an empty house on Jl. Brig Jend Katamso.

MAB, 17, was arrested by officers of the Public Order Agency on Monday and was tried at the Yogyakarta District Court on Thursday.

Presiding judge Susanto Isnu Wahyudi said that MAB was found guilty of drawing graffiti on the wall of the house and that he had violated the 2006 Yogyakarta Regional Regulation on Sanitation Management.

"We sentenced him to seven days in prison, but the defendant doesn't need to serve the sentence unless he commits the same crime within 14 days," Susanto said, adding that MAB also had to pay the Rp 1,000 (9 US cents) legal cost.

On Sunday evening, a number of artists, which took part in an art festival called "Searching for Haryadi" drew graffiti reading "Yogya is not for sale". The artists held the festival as a protest against Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti's policy on managing the city.

Public order officers painted over the graffiti. MAB, who happened to pass the area on Sunday at around 11 p.m., tried to re-draw the graffiti with his friend before officers arrested him.

The artists have slammed the arrest, saying that it was against freedom of expression. Yogyakarta city spokesman Tri Hastono said that the arrest had nothing to do with the words written on the wall.