Ba’asyir will only appear to hear religious expert

Terrorist defendant Abu Bakar Ba’asyir says he will only be willing to attend his Wednesday trial hearing during the testimony of an expert witness on religion.

“Yes I will be present, but later, during the questioning of the expert witness on religion from the Religious Affairs Ministry. I will ask my lawyers to be present as well,” Ba’asyir said Wednesday before the hearing, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

The hearing that day was scheduled to hear testimonies of at least five witnesses: Mukhtar Ali from the Religious Affairs Ministry, psychology expert Sarlito Wirawan Suwarno, ballistics expert Maruli Simanjuntak, cellular communications expert Slamet Uliyandi and criminal law expert Choirul Huda.

Sonhadi, the Media Center director for Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid, of which Ba’asyir is the chairman, said Mukhtar lacked professional capabilities in the I’dad (preparations) law, because the latter held the Controls Division chief position at the ministry.

“This trial is actually unfit for Ba’asyir and the lawyers to attend. However, because he wanted to respond to the expert witness regarding sharia matters, Ba’asyir needs to be present and to give his response,” Sonhadi said.

Ba’asyir is facing multiple charges related to terrorism, including masterminding and funding an alleged terrorist training facility in a remote part of Aceh.

Ba’asyir and his lawyers have left the courtroom multiple times during past hearings in protest over the presentation of evidence using methods they deemed potentially fabricated and unjust.