[Nasional-e] Indonesia seeks only 1 year jail for Muslim cleric

Fri Dec 20 02:00:20 2002

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REUTERS
Thursday December 19, 2002

Indonesia seeks only 1 year jail for Muslim cleric

JAKARTA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Indonesian prosecutors asked a court on =
Thursday to sentence a militant Muslim cleric to one year in jail for =
inciting hatred, well below the maximum penalty he could be given.

The case is being closely watched by the international community because =
Jafar Umar Thalib is the first radical Islamic preacher to be tried =
since President Megawati Sukarnoputri took power in the world's most =
populous Muslim nation.

The trial is seen as a test of the government's willingness -- =
especially in the wake of the Bali bomb attacks -- to crack down on =
militant Islam.

Thalib was accused of inciting hatred against the government in a speech =
he delivered early this year in the strife-torn Moluccas islands, some =
2,300 km (1,400 miles) east of Jakarta, which has been riven by =
Mulsim-Christian violence.

He was head of Laskar Jihad, Indonesia's best-known militant Muslim =
group, until it disbanded soon after the Bali blasts in October. Neither =
Laskar Jihad nor Thalib have been implicated in the Bali atrocity, which =
killed at least 191 people.

"We ask the panel of judges to rule the defendant, Jafar Umar Thalib, =
guilty of inciting hatred...and impose a jail sentence of one year," =
state prosecutor Slamet Riyanto told the court.

But the sentencing demand at the East Jakarta District Court was far =
below the maximum penalty of seven years.

Thalib has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The trial was adjourned until January 9, when Thalib's lawyers would =
deliver their final defence.

Laskar Jihad sent several thousand fighters to the Moluccas in mid-2000, =
adding to tensions in the once picturesque region.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in the religious clashes there =
since early 1999, although a peace pact signed earlier this year has =
managed to keep a lid on major outbreaks of violence.

------------------
Copyright =A9 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.=20

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size=3D3>REUTERS Thursday December 19, 2002 Indonesia seeks =
only 1 year=20
jail for Muslim cleric JAKARTA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Indonesian =
prosecutors=20
asked a court on Thursday to sentence a militant Muslim cleric to one =
year in=20
jail for inciting hatred, well below the maximum penalty he could be=20
given. The case is being closely watched by the international =
community=20
because Jafar Umar Thalib is the first radical Islamic preacher to be =
tried=20
since President Megawati Sukarnoputri took power in the world's most =
populous=20
Muslim nation. The trial is seen as a test of the government's=20
willingness -- especially in the wake of the Bali bomb attacks -- to =
crack down=20
on militant Islam. Thalib was accused of inciting hatred against =
the=20
government in a speech he delivered early this year in the strife-torn =
Moluccas=20
islands, some 2,300 km (1,400 miles) east of Jakarta, which has been =
riven by=20
Mulsim-Christian violence. He was head of Laskar Jihad, =
Indonesia's=20
best-known militant Muslim group, until it disbanded soon after the Bali =
blasts=20
in October. Neither Laskar Jihad nor Thalib have been implicated in the =
Bali=20
atrocity, which killed at least 191 people. "We ask the panel of =
judges=20
to rule the defendant, Jafar Umar Thalib, guilty of inciting =
hatred...and impose=20
a jail sentence of one year," state prosecutor Slamet Riyanto told the=20
court. But the sentencing demand at the East Jakarta District =
Court was=20
far below the maximum penalty of seven years. Thalib has =
repeatedly=20
denied any wrongdoing. The trial was adjourned until January 9, =
when=20
Thalib's lawyers would deliver their final defence. Laskar Jihad =
sent=20
several thousand fighters to the Moluccas in mid-2000, adding to =
tensions in the=20
once picturesque region. More than 5,000 people have been killed =
in the=20
religious clashes there since early 1999, although a peace pact signed =
earlier=20
this year has managed to keep a lid on major outbreaks of=20
violence. ------------------ Copyright =A9 2002 Reuters =
Limited. All=20
rights reserved. </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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