Student stands trial for terrorism activities

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta

The trial of a student charged with involvement in international terrorist activities who says he has met Osama bin Laden began at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

State prosecutor AA Welang told the hearing presided over by Judge Sugito that defendant Muhamad Saifudin alias Musab alias Ayyash bin Abu Amar, 24, had been involved in the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) regional terrorist network since 1998. Later he underwent three months of military training at the group's Hudaibiyah camp on the southern Philippines island of Moro, Welang said.

"During that period the defendant was trained to use explosives and weapons and taught guerrilla warfare skills," he said.

In June 2001, the defendant went to study at Abu Bakar Islamic University in Karachi, Pakistan, Welang said. The following month he went to Afghanistan on the request of alleged JI leader Riduan Isamuddin, alias Hambali, to join Taliban forces who were then fighting United States troops.

Saifudin, along with fellow Indonesian students Rusman Gunawan, alias Gun Gun, Ilham Sofiandi and Furqon, were deported from Pakistan in December for their alleged involvement in terrorist groups. They have been placed under police custody here since then.

Rusman is the younger brother of Hambali, who is being held by the U.S. in an undisclosed place after his capture in Thailand in August. Indonesia has been asking the U.S. for direct access to Hambali but to no avail.

JI is allegedly linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda and has been blamed for a string of terror attacks in the region, notably the Bali bombings on Oct. 12, 2002, which killed 202 people and the JW Marriott Hotel attack in Jakarta on Aug. 5, 2003, which killed 12.

Welang said Saifudin returned to Pakistan in 2002, again under Hambali's orders, he organized the Al Ghuroba group with Rusman, which distributed religious materials.

"On several occasions, however, the defendant also gave out information urging the group to join Osama bin Laden's religious wars," Welang said. "The defendant also recruited fellow students to join military training with the group."

Before the trial, Saifudin said he had met and talked with bin Laden several times during his stay in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The prosecutors charged Saifudin with violating Article 15 of Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism, for conspiring and aiding acts of terror, and Article 16 of the same law for supporting acts of terror outside Indonesian territory.

Both violations carry a sentence of between four and 20 years.

Saifudin is also charged with violating Article 48 of Law No. 9/1992 on immigration, for illegally leaving Indonesia without going through proper immigration procedures on his trip to the Philippines, an offense which carries a maximum sentence of three years jail.

The court was adjourned until June 22 to hear the defense arguments.