13 convicted for roles in riots

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): A court here sentenced 13 people to between one and four months in jail for involvement in last month's riots on Lombok island.

After a five-hour trial here on Saturday all were convicted to a month in jail for looting during the riots. They were found to be in violation of Article 363 of the Criminal Code on violent robbery.

Two received additional three-month sentences due to their prior criminal records.

Antara reported that the prosecutors had demanded a two to three month jail sentence for each defendant.

Another defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday.

One of the presiding judges, Mariyun, said that while the 13 convicted were clearly guilty of looting, their actions were purely spontaneous and not premeditated.

They thus cannot be regarded as provocateurs of the three days of rioting, he said. (04)