The Semarang District Court sentenced two terror suspects Monday for up to six years for sending a laptop to jailed Bali bomber Imam Samudra.
Agung Setiadi, alias Salaful Jihad, 31, was found guilty of sending the computer by courier to Imam in May 2005 and was sentenced to six years imprisonment.
At the time, Imam was incarcerated at the Kerobokan penitentiary in Denpasar, Bali.
Prison warden Beni Irawan, 35, was sentenced to five years in jail for physically handing the laptop to Imam at the penitentiary.
Both men's sentences were each six years lighter than prosecutors demanded.
"Agung (helped) the terrorists, so he should be jailed for six years ... (less time already) served," Judge Edhi Sudarmohono said.
Prosecutors told the court the laptop had been under the name of Agung's daughter.
Beni handed the computer to Imam in his cell, allowing the terrorist to remain in contact with other militants.
Imam was able to communicate with fellow terrorists using e-mail and online chat rooms, the court heard. He used the name of Al Irhab online.
Dozens of Muslim activists from Solo, Central Java were present at the trial to provide support for the two defendants.
Edhi said based on evidence and witness testimonies, Agung had violated Article 13 of Law No. 1/2002, which was renewed by Law No. 15/2003 in the Eradication of Terror Act Crimes.
Agung's activities were considered to have disturbed the lives of the community, he said.
After the trial Agung cried, "Allahu Akbar!!! (God's Great), as he was escorted by the security officials to a detention car.
Several activists from Solo accompanied him from the court room to the car.
Budhi Kuswanto and Sugeng Riyadi, lawyers for Agung and Beni respectively, said they were disappointed with the verdict.
"The judge did not base the verdict on legal fact," Budhi said.
"We will appeal. The defendant has to be freed," he said.
Sugeng said his client would also appeal.
"After I checked, the wind hole at the cell was only 21 centimeters in diameter, while the laptop was 31 centimeters," Sugeng said.
"It was impossible to push the computer through to the cell."
Imam and fellow Bali bombers Amrozi and Ali Ghufron, alias Mukhlas, are on death row for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings which left 202 people dead.
All three were moved to a high security island jail off the southern coast of Central Java in October 2005.
Both the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings and a series other attacks have been blamed on the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) Islamic extremist network, said AFP.
Alleged head of JI Zarkasi and military wing member Abu Dujana were both captured by police earlier this month in major blows to the organization.
JI wants to establish a pan-Islamic state across much of Southeast Asia.
The hunt for members of the terrorist network continued in Central Java, where the anti-terror police captured Nurohman alias Wuryanto, 27, aide suspect to fugitive terror mastermind Noodin M. Top.
Nurohman was arrested on a bus in Weleri near Kendal regency on Saturday.
Source : www.thejakartapost.com
