Ba'asyir found guilty, sentenced to 30 months<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The headline-grabbing trial of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir came to a close
\non Thursday with a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence for the
\nMuslim cleric for his part in the \"evil conspiracy\" that killed
\n202 people in Bali in October 2002.<\/p>\n
\"Abu Bakar Ba'asyir alias Abu Somad alias Abdus Somad has been
\nfound guilty of involvement in an evil conspiracy to cause an
\nexplosion that caused death and endangered the lives of others,\"
\npresiding Judge Suharto said.<\/p>\n
Such an act carries a maximum term of five years in jail under
\nArticle 187 of the Criminal Code.<\/p>\n
The South Jakarta District Court judges relied on the sworn
\ntestimony of Mubarok, who was convicted for his role in the Bali
\nbombings, who cited a conversation between Amrozi and Ba'asyir
\nabout holding an \"event\" in Bali, which the court interpreted as
\nproof that Ba'asyir had conspired in the bombings.<\/p>\n
Amrozi, who was sentenced to death, was never himself summoned
\nto attend the trial.<\/p>\n
Given the fact that Ba'asyir has been detained since April
\nlast year, he will serve only one and a half years in prison,
\nwhich equals the punishment he received for violating immigration
\nregulations during his previous trial.<\/p>\n
The Yemeni-born cleric lost his freedom a few weeks after the
\nBali blasts. Police believe he is the spiritual leader of
\nregional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), which has been
\nblamed for a string of bomb attacks in the country over the last
\nfive years.<\/p>\n
Out of the eight charges in the indictment laid by the
\nprosecutors, only one, a subsidiary charge, was accepted by the
\ncourt. The prosecution had recommended a sentence of eight years
\nfor the cleric.<\/p>\n
After the verdict was read out, havoc broke out in the
\nmakeshift courtroom with hundreds of Ba'asyir supporters shouting
\nand cursing the judges, while dozens of women wearing veils wept
\nover the decision.<\/p>\n
Scores of police officers quickly formed a human fence to
\nprotect the judges while dozens of others escorted the five
\njudges and 14 prosecutors as they left the courtroom.<\/p>\n
\"I refuse to accept the verdict. This is a despotic decision.
\nInsya Allah (God willing), I will appeal,\" said Ba'asyir,
\nresponding to the verdict.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir's lawyer, Mohammad Assegaf, objected to the judges'
\nreasoning, saying that the conversation between his client and
\nAmrozi in August 2002 could not be used to prove the commission
\nof a crime.<\/p>\n
\"Even if Ba'asyir was sentenced to only one hour in prison, we
\nwould still appeal. How can you use an abstract conversation as a
\nbasis to convict the defendant?\" Assegaff asked.<\/p>\n
Mahendradatta, another Ba'asyir lawyer, claimed that the
\nverdict had been pre-ordained to legitimize his client's
\ndetention by the police.<\/p>\n
Mahendradatta said that besides appealing, Ba'asyir's lawyers
\nwould also consider seeking a review of the verdict due to the
\nfact that Amrozi had never testified before the court. As a
\nresult, the verdict was based merely on hearsay.<\/p>\n
Outside the courtroom, Ba'asyir supporters from various
\nmilitant organizations, such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)
\nand Hamas, crammed the parking lot to listen to a speech by Habib
\nRizieq, the FPI leader.<\/p>\n
Most of the cleric's 1,500 supporters arrived in 25 buses with
\nYogyakarta and Surakarta number plates, laid on by the Indonesian
\nMujahidin Council (MMI).<\/p>\n
Ahmad Sumargono, a national legislator, also condemned the
\nverdict, saying that Indonesia had to stop U.S. intervention in
\nthe case.<\/p>\n
About 3,000 police officers and two water cannon were deployed
\nto provide security around the courtroom.<\/p>\n
South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Ghufron said before the
\nhanding down of the verdict that his men had found four molotov
\ncocktails in the parking area.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't found the perpetrators, but thank God this area
\nhas been neutralized since 4 p.m. yesterday,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/baasyir-found-guilty-sentenced-to-30-months-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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