Ba’asyir supporters flood courtroom

Hundreds of supporters of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir flooded South Jakarta District Court to watch his terrorism trial hearing on Wednesday.

An expert witness on sharia law, Mukhtar Ali, a senior official at the Religious Affairs Ministry, is scheduled to testify during the hearing.

Meanwhile, Anshorut Tauhid chairman Sonhadi said because of the presence of a sharia law expert witness, Ba’asyir would be present, after he had missed several previous hearings.

Previously, Ba’asyir replied to a letter from the court, saying he would not attend the hearing should there be no expert witness on sharia law.

Ba’asyir is charged for his endorsement of a fundraising activity that allegedly paid for a terrorist training camp in Aceh.