Alleged GAM bombers go on trial<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
The Medan district court is scheduled to begin the trial next
\nweek in Medan of 11 alleged members of the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) on charges of planting bombs in three separate locations in
\nMedan last year and early this year.<\/p>\n
This was announced on Wednesday by the president of the Medan
\nDistrict Court, Sulthoni Muhdally, after he received the files on
\nthe 11 defendants from the head of the Medan prosecutors' office,
\nNawir Annas.<\/p>\n
\"If there are no holdups, the first trial will begin next
\nweek,\" Sulthoni told reporters at his office, adding that he
\nwould soon appoint the judges to preside over the trials.<\/p>\n
The 11 defendants would be tried separately, he said.<\/p>\n
Security, provided by both police and soldiers, would be
\ntight, with only a limited number of spectators being allowed
\ninto each courtroom.<\/p>\n
To enable those spectators excluded from the courtrooms to
\nwitness the trials, the district court would provide closed
\ncircuit televisions outside.<\/p>\n
According to Sulthoni, the district court would begin on
\nThursday arranging the schedule for the trials of the 11
\ndefendants and the judges who will hear them.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Nawir said that the Medan prosecutors' office would
\ncharge eight out of the 11 defendants with terrorism under
\nAntiterrorism Law No. 15\/2003.<\/p>\n
The three other defendants would be charged with treason under
\nState Emergency Law No. 23\/1959 and the Criminal Code, he said.<\/p>\n
\"All the charges carry the death sentence. But, whether they
\nwill get death depends on what happens in court,\" Nawir told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The eight defendants charged with terrorism are alleged to
\nhave been involved in a bomb blast that occurred in the parking
\nlot of Medan City Hall on March 31, and another one at a gas
\ninstallation belonging to state-owned oil and gas company
\nPertamina on Jl. Yos Sudarso here on April 1. No fatalities were
\nreported in either incident.<\/p>\n
These eight defendants are Deli Manaf Abdi, 62, the alleged
\nGAM commander overseeing Medan; Tengku Johan, 68, an alleged GAM
\nspiritual leader; Masrul, 40, the alleged GAM military commander
\noverseeing the Medan-Deli area; Ridwan, 34, an alleged GAM
\nintelligence operative in the Medan-Deli area; and three other
\nalleged members of GAM operating in the Medan-Deli area Musliadi,
\n25, Anwar Adam, 32 and Tengku Said Azhar, 40.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the three defendants charged with treason are
\nalleged to have been involved in a bomb blast at the Hotel Best
\nWestern Asean International on Aug. 17 last year. No casualties
\nwere reported in the blast.<\/p>\n
The three defendants are Muhammad Yahya, 48, the alleged GAM
\ndeputy commander overseeing the Medan-Deli area, Abdullah bin
\nSulaiman, 39, an alleged GAM intelligence operative and Teuku
\nMustafa Halim, 45, an alleged GAM treasurer.<\/p>\n
All 11 defendants are now being detained at the Tanjung Gusta
\npenitentiary in Medan.<\/p>\n
Nawir said that the Medan prosecutors' office had appointed
\nfour of its staff to prosecute the 11 defendants.<\/p>",
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