Indonesian prosecutors delay sentence for top terror suspect

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian prosecutors postponed their sentencing request Wednesday for a apical panic fishy who eluded seizure for 18 years and is accused of masterminding deadly attacks and sectarian struggle successful the world’s astir populous Muslim nation.

Aris Sumarsono, 58, amended known arsenic Zulkarnaen, is the erstwhile subject commandant of Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian militant radical with ties to al-Qaida which the U.S. has designated a violent group. The radical is wide blamed for attacks including the 2002 bombings connected the Indonesian edifice land of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly overseas tourists, arsenic good arsenic attacks successful the Philippines.

Prosecutors were scheduled to contented their sentencing request connected Wednesday, but said they person not finished preparing it.

“We request clip to survey this lawsuit earlier we contented our demand,” authoritative Teguh Suhendro said successful a proceeding astatine East Jakarta District Court held remotely owed to the coronavirus pandemic.

The request was initially scheduled for Nov. 24, but has been postponed respective times. Presiding Judge Alex Adam Faisal ordered prosecutors to contiguous their request connected Jan. 5.

Zulkarnaen had eluded seizure since being named a fishy successful the October 2002 termination bombings astatine Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club successful Bali. He was arrested past twelvemonth successful Lampung, the aforesaid confederate municipality connected Sumatra land wherever Jemmaah Islamiyah bombmaker Upik Lawanga was arrested a week earlier. The 2 were tried separately astatine the aforesaid court. Lawanga, who was connected the constabulary wanted database for 16 years, was sentenced to beingness imprisonment connected Dec. 8.

Police were tipped disconnected to his hideout aft interrogating respective suspected militants arrested earlier.

Since May 2005, Zulkarnaen has been listed connected an al-Qaida sanctions database by the U.N. Security Council for being associated with Osama bin Laden oregon the Taliban.

He became operations main for Jemaah Islamiyah aft the apprehension of his predecessor, Encep Nurjaman, besides known arsenic Hambali, successful Thailand successful 2003.

The United States’ “Rewards for Justice” programme had offered a bounty of up to $5 cardinal for his capture. He was the lone Indonesian connected the list.

Zulkarnaen argued that helium was a person of the network’s subject helping but was not progressive astatine each levels of cognition successful the Bali bombings due to the fact that helium was focusing connected organizing followers successful sectarian conflicts successful Ambon and Poso and successful the confederate Philippines.

During his proceedings that began successful September, different convicted militants successful the 2002 Bali bombings, including Umar Patek and Ali Imron, who were sentenced to 20 years and beingness successful jailhouse respectively, supported Zulkarnaen’s argument, saying helium knew astir the crippled but did not play a relation successful its operation.

An Indonesian tribunal banned Jemaah Islamiyah successful 2008, and a sustained crackdown by information forces with enactment from the U.S. and Australia helped weaken the militant network.

Militant attacks connected foreigners successful Indonesia person mostly been replaced successful caller years by smaller, little deadly strikes targeting the government, chiefly constabulary and information forces, inspired by Islamic State radical tactics abroad.

Indonesia’s constabulary counterterrorism unit, known arsenic Densus 88, has arrested much than 500 suspected Jemaah Islamiyah members successful the past 2 years, including a subordinate of the Indonesia Ulema Council, the country’s highest Islamic body, who was arrested past month.

Authorities estimation the radical has much than 6,000 members.