Appeals court frees three terror convicts

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

The Palu High Court said here on Saturday it had annulled the convictions of three of five terror suspects in Central Sulawesi.

"They have been found not guilty. After investigating the evidence, and based on witness statements, the three were not proven to be involved in terrorism," presiding judge Mahdi Saroinda Nasution said.

In its decision handed down on Friday, the higher court ordered the immediate release of the three defendants from the Palu penitentiary.

The three were identified as Firmansyah, Fajri and Aang Hasanuddin.

But prosecutors Ferry Silalahi and Syahrul Alam said the three should not be released pending an appeal of the high court's decision to the Supreme Court.

"They cannot be let go from prison because the legal process is not finished. We will file an appeal to the Supreme Court," Ferry said.

The high court is also hearing appeals from two other terror defendants -- Muhammad Fauzan and Nizam -- who were convicted by the Palu District Court in March along with the three suspects whose convictions were overturned.

Firmansyah and Fajri were jailed for five years by the district court, while Aang received a three-year prison sentence.

The district court found both Firmansyah and Fajri guilty of aiding convicted Bali bomber Achmad Roichan, alias Nur. Aang was convicted for failing to report the activities of Firmansyah and Fajri to the police.

The same court also sentenced Fauzan and Nizam to six years in prison for storing automatic weapons at Fauzan's house on Jl. Basuki Rahmat in South Palu.

The five convicted men are suspected members of the regional terror group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

JI was blamed for the devastating Bali bombings that killed 202 people on Oct. 12, 2002, and a bombing at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta that claimed the lives of 13 people on Aug. 5, 2003.