Ja'far trial adjourned till Aug. 15

Ja'far trial adjourned till Aug. 15

JAKARTA: The East Jakarta District Court postponed on Thursday the trial of Ja'far Umar Thalib, leader of hard-line group Laskar Jihad, out of fears for Ja'far's health and for security reasons due to the Annual Session of the MPR.

Ja'far was scheduled to go on trial for inciting violence in Ambon, Maluku, which has been the scene of sectarian conflict for some years now.

"You look pale. The court does not try defendants who are ill. Are you in good health?" asked presiding Judge Mansyur Nasution.

Wearing white robes and a turban, Ja'far answered that "physically I am healthy but my mind is very depressed by the fact that I am been treated unfairly."

Judge Mansyur adjourned the hearing until Aug. 15 because the panel of judges considered that physically and psychologically Ja'far was unfit to face trial.

The judges also said that the security situation was not favorable for the trial to go ahead due to the Annual Session.

More than 100 police officers guarded the court building tightly. They screened visitors, mostly Ja'far supporters, with metal detectors.

Lawyer Wirawan Adnan said Ja'far would be charged with inciting violence, insulting President Megawati Soekarnoputri and inciting hatred against the government. --JP