Jakarta's outgoing Christian governor is expected to launch a request to be released from prison as he awaits his appeal over the shock decision to jail him for two-years for blasphemy.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's president has called on people to respect the legal process.
In a ruling that some say has a distinct "political aroma" and points to rising intolerance within the world's most populous Muslim nation, a panel of five judges found Basuki Tjahaja Purnama - commonly referred to as Ahok - guilty of the controversial charge of blasphemy on Tuesday.
Ahok had been on trial for blasphemy since December following a speech he made in September in which he criticised his detractors for using a Koranic verse - Al Maidah 51 - to "fool" people into not voting for a non-Muslim.
He immediately announced he would appeal before being taken to Cipinang prison in East Jakarta.
Outside the court his supporters stood in stunned silence, before some broke down in tears.
Describing the decision as "unfair" his lawyers said they are submitting an immediate request to Jakarta's High Court for him to be released pending the appeal.
"The sentence is filled with a political aroma," lawyer Wayan Sudirta said, adding that it was the result of pressure and so did not "make sense".
Ahok's deputy, Djarot Syaiful Hidayat, told reporters he would act as a guarantor to the request to have Ahok remain in the community under "town arrest".
"This is still not finished. The process is still very long," he said.
"I'm ready to back him up whatever (the situation is), ready to take responsibility, ready to protect him, ready to defend him ... His misery is my misery. Whatever he accepts, I feel it too."
Mr Djaorot is expected to be inaugurated as acting governor on Tuesday evening.
Speaking from Papua, President Joko Widodo urged calm saying: "I ask all to respect the existing legal process and the sentence read by the judges."
The court's decision went against both recommendations put forward by prosecutors who suggested the 50-year-old be found guilty of the lesser charge of insulting a group of people - in this case Muslims - rather than blasphemy.
Prosecutors also suggested he be placed on probation for two years, rather than jailed.
At the same time as the trial, Ahok was running his gubernatorial election campaign for the 10-million strong capital.
Aaron Connelly, research fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, said the judgement was a greater threat to Indonesia's pluralism than the 50-year-old's election loss in the gubernatorial elections last month.
Whether the decision will impact on Indonesia's standing internationally is less clear, Mr Connelly says, adding there are regular incidents that "complicated" the picture of the country.
This included attacks on the religious minority group the Ahmadiyah community, which have long been the targets of deadly violence.
Tobias Basuki from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies described the decision as "crazy", and warned Indonesia must brace itself for people now wielding religion for political purposes.
"The fact that an incumbent with high rate of approval could be attacked with religion issue and brought to court, that's the first mistake," he told AAP.
In handing down the decision, Judge Abdul Rosyad denied politics had anything to do with it.
"This is purely a case of blasphemy and is not related with the Jakarta election."
