Court dismisses Ba'asyir's lawsuit

JAKARTA: The South Jakarta District Court dismissed on Monday a lawsuit filed by Abu Bakar Ba'asyir against the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office for detaining him.

Ba'asyir, believed to be the chairman of Jamaah Islamiyah, a regional group the United Nations has placed on its list of international terrorist organizations, has been charged with treason, planning to assassinate President Megawati Soekarnoputri and immigration violations.

"The court dismisses the plaintiff's lawsuit and declares that the detention of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was legal," said Tursani Jafrie, who presented the verdict in the court on Monday.

The court also ordered Ba'asyir to bear the cost of the trial.

Ba'asyir's lawyers have sought his release.

Police allege that Ba'asyir was responsible for a string of church bombings in 2000, and plan to file charges of attempting to overthrow the government against him soon.

Authorities expect to bring Ba'asyir to trial by the end of next month. If found guilty, Ba'asyir would face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. --Antara