SC to hear Ba'asyir appeal

JAKARTA: The Supreme Court (SC) has set up a panel of judges to hear cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir's appeal of his three-year prison sentence for treason.

Mugiharjo, the court's criminal division director, said on Wednesday that Chief Justice Bagir Manan would lead the panel of judges comprising of Paulus E. Lotulung, Parman Suparman, Dirwoto, and Muchsin.

On Tuesday, Bagir told a delegation of Muslim clerics that the court may issue a verdict on the case on January 19.

Ba'asyir, believed to be the leader of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), was earlier sentenced to four years in prison for treason by the Central Jakarta District Court.

However, the Jakarta High Court later overturned the verdict, and shortened his prison sentence to three years for document forgery and an immigration offense.

JI has been blamed for a series of deadly bombings in the country, including the Bali bombings that killed over 200 people on Oct. 12, 2002. -- JP