Bicycle bomber charged with anti-terrorism law

Prosecutors are demanding that Ahmad Abdul Robbani, an amateur bicycle bomber who failed to injure anyone but himself last year, be charged under the Anti-terrorism law, which carries a maximum sentence of death.

Ahmad is charged with setting off a homemade bomb in September of last year in Bekasi. The bomb was assembled using firecracker powder and nails. “The defendant learned the [assembling] techniques by himself,” prosecutor Trimo said as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com.

According to the sentence demand document, Ahmad carried out the act after hearing the news of terrorist suspects being caught. “The defendant allegedly sought to avenge the suspects by making the police station his target,” Trimo said.

However, Ahmad’s plans were thwarted when the bomb went off just a few meters away from the police station, and he only ended up injuring himself in the process.

“But the defendant’s move has caused fear in society,” Trimo said at the East Jakarta District Court during the trial.

Kisworo, Ahmad’s lawyer, said the document would be responded to in a trial to be held next week.

“This case should have been tried in Bekasi,” he said. The incident happened near the border between Jakarta and Bekasi.