11 Indonesians to go on trial in U.S.

JAKARTA: Eleven Indonesian nationals recently arrested in New Hampshire, USA, for overstaying their visas are being detained in two separate prisons before their trials begin on Tuesday, local time.

The initial hearing is scheduled for Tuesday (Wednesday Indonesian time) for the first three, Indonesian consul general in New York I.G. Ngurah Swetja said.

The hearing date for the remaining eight is yet to be advised by the local court.

They have been detained in two separate prisons -- five in a prison in New Hampshire and five in Massachusetts.

They were arrested when police raided a house they were renting in New Hampshire.

Ngurah Swetja said that the consulate did not have sufficient funds to pay the court guarantee of $55,000 for their release while awaiting trial.

He said all of them were in good health and fasting during the month of Ramadhan.

It was confirmed that the group had been arrested for overstaying their visas and not in relation to terrorist activities, as initially feared.

The Indonesian citizens have been identified as Sukino, 55, from Bekasi, West Java; Nur Abdul Mutholib, 29, from Malang, East Java; Muhammad Munir, 24, from Jakarta; Rudi Hartono, 24, from Banyuwangi, East Java; Nurrochman, 36, from Karawang, West Java; Rustin Pandukunian, 43, from Bekasi; Achmad Alidin Adnan, 59, from Padang, West Sumatra; Abdul Ghofur, 21, from Nganjuk, East Java; Asep Jusuf Jamaludin, 28, from Cilangkap, Jakarta; Rudi Haryanto, 29, from Tulungagung, East Java; and Ayub Rachman, 28, from Jakarta. -- Antara