Terror suspects face life sentences

Thu, 03/27/2008 11:52 AM

Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded the South Jakarta District Court sentence terror suspect Abu Dujana to life imprisonment.

"The defendant was proven guilty for committing acts of terrorism," prosecutor Payaman said in his demand during the trial, Antara reported.

The defendant, head of an armed wing of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), an organization linked with terror acts in the country, was charged for violating a law on terrorism by allegedly possessing and distributing firearms and ammunition, and for his alleged involvement in terrorist groups.

Dujana, who was arrested between June 9 and 11 in Central Java, was also charged for allegedly funding acts of terrorism in Moro, the Philippines and Poso, Central Sulawesi, Tempointeraktif news portal reported.

The prosecutors also requested the panel of judges to ban JI.

After the trial, Dujana said the charges were too severe and he denied involvement with JI.

"I am not a member of JI and I have never been installed as a member of JI," he said.

JI is blamed for terrorist attacks in Bali in 2002 and 2005, a bombing at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in 2003 and a 2004 attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

After his arrest last year, Dujana said in a videotape convicted terror suspect Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was a former JI leader.

Ba'asyir has consistently denied any links to terrorist organizations.

Ba'asyir was arrested, tried and sentenced in 2002 for immigration violations, before being released in 2004. He was then arrested for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings and was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment in March 2005.

Following two sentence remissions he was released in June last year.

Dujana is set to state his defense when his trial restarts on April 2. -- JP

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