Bali blast accomplice gets life sentence<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
The Denpasar District Court sentenced on Thursday a man to life
\nimprisonment for his role in the devastating Bali blasts that
\nkilled 202 people.<\/p>\n
Sarjiyo, alias Sawad, alias Zaenal Abidin, was convicted of
\nconspiring, planning and organizing the Oct. 12, 2002 bombings in
\nBali.<\/p>\n
\"We find the defendant guilty beyond any reasonable doubt of
\nparticipating in a criminal act of terrorism,\" presiding judge
\nArif Supratman told the trial of Sarjiyo.<\/p>\n
He said the defendant was charged under the antiterror law.<\/p>\n
\"Consequently, we sentenced the defendant to life
\nimprisonment,\" Arif added.<\/p>\n
He said Sarjiyo traveled to Bali late in September 2002 to
\nsurvey the locations before mixing up the explosives at a rented
\nhouse in the neighborhood where the bombings took place.<\/p>\n
Responding to the verdict, Sarjiyo immediately stood up and
\nscreamed out his intention to challenge the court ruling in the
\nHigh Court.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Hakim (judge), I appeal the verdict,\" he howled, shortly
\nafter the panel of judges finished reading out the decision.<\/p>\n
Security officers hurriedly whisked Sarjiyo away into a
\nwaiting prison van. Because of the outburst, he was not even
\ngiven a chance to consult with his lawyer Miftachul Ichwan about
\nthe verdict against him.<\/p>\n
Ichwan declined to comment to the press on the sentence,
\npending discussions with his client.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Sarjiyo and got
\njust that.<\/p>\n
The defendant had faced a possible death sentence but was
\ngiven life imprisonment because he was not directly involved in
\ncarrying out the attack, the court said.<\/p>\n
Sarjiyo was the third convicted bomber who was sentenced to
\nlife imprisonment. The other two were Ali Imron and Mubarok.<\/p>\n
The judges further said that Sarjiyo not only gave his consent
\nto the plan to bomb the two nightclubs full of young revelers,
\nbut also agreed to bear the responsibility for mixing the
\nchemical substances and explosive devices into bombs.<\/p>\n
\"It was Amrozi who informed the defendant on the planning and
\nthe task the defendant must carry out,\" the presiding judge
\nadded.<\/p>\n
As of Thursday, the court has sentenced a total of 30 men for
\ntheir roles in the terror attack, one of the worst in Indonesian
\nhistory<\/p>\n
Three key defendants, Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron,
\nwere sentenced to death, while several others who aided or
\nabetted the bombers received prison terms ranging from three
\nyears to life behind bars.<\/p>\n
Currently, three other defendants are standing trial at the
\nDenpasar court.<\/p>\n
Also on Thursday at the same court, prosecutors sought a 20-
\nyear jail term for Ahmad Roichan, another suspect charged with
\nhiding Ali Gufron.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, lawyers for Amrozi said they would seek a judicial
\nreview of their client's conviction as a final legal attempt to
\nkeep the firing squad at bay.<\/p>\n
The horrendous carnage in the bombings catapulted Indonesia
\ninto the front lines of the international war on terror and
\nseverely damaged Bali's economy.<\/p>\n
Police have blamed the al-Qaeda-linked militant network known
\nas Jamaah Islamiyah for the attack.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-blast-accomplice-gets-life-sentence-1447893297",
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