Defendants in Islamic state case sentenced

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court sentenced has three defendants accused of taking part in the activities of an obscure organization called the Indonesian Islamic State (NII) to between nine months and one year in jail.

Subaryoto, aged 35, was given one year while Yose Arman, 24, and Arysad, 24, were given nine months each yesterday.

Nine witnesses who testified during the four-month-long trial said the defendants were members of NII, an organization that wants to overthrow the New Order government and replace it with an Islamic state.

The three men, who had been in detention since Aug. 10, had denied the charges.

The judge found them guilty of violating article 154 of the Criminal Code by sowing public hatred against the government through their activities in the organization.

Judge Tirafiyah Harahap said that the defendants had been polite, spoken clearly, shown remorse, and were still young.

He gave them one week to lodge an appeal.

The defendants were not represented by their lawyer, Achmad Fauzan, at yesterday's session because he was late. He eventually appeared a few minutes before the session ended. (12)