Churh bomber gets 12 years in jail
Churh bomber gets 12 years in jail
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced a Malaysian on
Thursday to 12 years in jail for his involvement in the July 22,
2001, bombing of Santa Anna Catholic Church, East Jakarta, that
killed one and injured 67 other congregants during a full morning
service.
Judges found Nur Misuari, alias Nurdin, 25, guilty of illegal
explosives possession.
"The court is convinced that the defendant possessed,
assembled, carried and used the explosives in violation of the
1951 Emergency Law," presiding judge Zainal Abidin Sangadji read
the verdict.
Both the prosecution and defense said they would appeal.
The sentence, which is retroactive and will be reduced by the
time Misuari has spent in detention since April 22, 2003, is
three years more lenient than the prosecution's request.
Misuari was charged with mixing Research Development Formula
Explosive (RDX) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) to compose a bomb and
with targeting the church on Jl. Arafuru, Pondok Bambu district.
His accomplice, Asep, alias Abdullah, planted the bomb.
In his defense, Misuari pleaded innocent and said he had only
obeyed orders to take Asep, who is still at large, by motorcycle
to the church. He said Asep was carrying a black plastic bag.
Dozens of victims were severely injured and survived the blast
only after undergoing numerous operations and intensive care
treatment. Some sustained permanent injuries, as doctors had to
amputate limbs damaged in the blast.
A number of victims were blinded and lost their hearing in the
blast.
In the indictment, the prosecution recounted that the church
bombing followed the nationwide 2000 Christmas Eve bombings
involving Imam Samudra, the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2002, Bali
bombing.
Samudra, a member of the regional terrorist network Jamaah
Islamiyah, was sentenced to death by the Denpasar District Court
in September 2003. The Bali bombing killed 202 people, mostly
foreign holidaymakers.
The series of bombings are believed to be retaliation for the
deaths of Muslims in the bloody sectarian conflict in Maluku.