Judges in Jakarta today threw out a high-profile case against the editor of Indonesian Playboy magazine who was accused of violating the Muslim nation's indecency laws.
Erwin Arnada, the editor-in-chief, faced more than two years in jail on charges of distributing the lewd images that outraged hard-line Islamists and exposed deep divisions within Indonesia.
But the three-judge panel ruled that the images carried in the magazine launched a year ago were not pornographic and the prosecution's arguments were legally invalid as they failed to take account of media laws guaranteeing freedom of expression.
Hundreds of staunchly Muslim demonstrators ringed by riot police gathered outside the court promising mayhem if the editor was cleared. But ultimately their protests were muted.
In an address to reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing, Mr Arnada, 42, hailed the decision as a victory, and pledged to keep publishing and distributing the magazine in Indonesia.
"This is a great gift for Playboy Indonesia because up until today, for one year my friends and I worked under pressure," he said. "Today's verdict proved press freedom is respected in this country."
The magazine is tame even by the standards of other publications on Indonesia's newsstands and has never printed nude pictures, though bare-legged models in underwear showing diving cleavages are its staple.
After the first issue came out last April its Jakarta offices were stoned by protestors and the publishers were forced to set up on the Hindu tourist island of Bali, where a number of editions were edited. Despite the prosecution the government made no attempt to close it down.
Prosecutors argued the pictures in the magazine damaged the morals of the nation of 190 million Muslims. But the presiding judge, Effan Basuning, said the assertions could "not be accepted" as many other publications displayed similar images to those of Playboy, regarded by conservative Muslims as an icon of western dominance.
Members of the Islamic Defenders' Front, with its track record of attacks on bars, nightclubs and western embassies, assembled outside the court and expressed their dismay over the ruling.
"This is a bitter pill," said Bachtiar Ali, one of the demonstration's organisers. "Do we have to wait until our wives and daughters are raped? We will keep fighting. Pornography is a moral crime that destroys the nation's faith."