Court frees former Laskar Jihad leader
Court frees former Laskar Jihad leader
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The East Jakarta District Court has found Ja'far Umar Thalib,
leader of the now defunct Islamic militia group Laskar Jihad, not
guilty of provoking violence, spreading hatred against the
government and defaming the president in the conflict-torn
province of Maluku.
"All charges are unproven...the court acquits the defendant
from these charges and orders that the defendant's reputation be
restored," presiding judge Mansyur Nasution told the hearing.
The verdict was cheered by dozens of Ja'far's supporters, who
packed the courtroom.
Prosecutor Slamet Riyanto, who demanded a one-year jail term
for Ja'far, said he would think over the two weeks allowed by
law, whether or not to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Ja'far said the verdict was fair, as the charges leveled
against him were artificial.
"Thank God, I hope this (the verdict) boosts efforts to uphold
the freedom of speech, for the sake of the state and the people,"
he told reporters after the trial.
Charges against Ja'far were based on a tape recording of his
speech before 2,500 people at the Al Fatah Mosque in the Maluku
capital of Ambon on April 26, 2002.
Two days after the sermon, a group of unidentified men
assaulted the predominantly Christian village of Soya and killed
13 people. Witnesses described the attackers as physically well-
trained.
During his preaching, Ja'far allegedly said President Megawati
Soekarnoputri's administration had cooperated with the South
Maluku Republic separatist group, which had staged a rebellion
against the government of Megawati's father Sukarno in the late
1950s.
Many viewed the prosecutors had built a weak case as the
Criminal Code does not recognize a tape recording as evidence.
Laskar Jihad sent 2,000 troops to Maluku fight alongside local
Muslims against Christians during three years of sectarian
conflict between 1999 and 2002, which left 6,000 dead.
A peace deal was signed in February 2002, and the Laskar Jihad
fighters were gradually withdrawn from the province as part of
the peace deal. The Laskar Jihad was officially disbanded in Oct.
2002 after the Bali bombings, for the reason that many followers
had strayed from the true path of the group.
On Wednesday, the North Jakarta District Court sentenced
Christian leaders Alex Manuputty and Semmy Waileruny to three
years in prison for plotting a rebellion in Maluku.