South Jakarta court will hold firebrand cleric’s trial: prosecutor

An official denied speculation that the trial of the firebrand cleric, Abu Bakar Baasyir, would likely be moved to another location, saying that as of now they would stick to the original plan to hold the trial at the South Jakarta District Court.

“We haven’t planned any relocation. So far, the plan is to conduct the hearing process at the South Jakarta District Court,” said the head of the South Jakarta Prosecutors’ office, Muhammad Yusuf, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com on Saturday.

However, Yusuf would not reveal the exact date the trial would commence, saying it was still under deliberation.

A police field operative previously told The Jakarta Post that police would triple the guard and security perimeter to anticipate any possible disruptions during the trial.

Abu Bakar Baasyir was arrested by police anti-terror squad Detachment 88 last year for allegedly playing a significant in fund-raising activities to support a terrorist training ground in Aceh.