JAKARTA (AP)–A Muslim militant who said he wanted to punish the U.S. and others who “oppress Islam” went on trial Tuesday for his admitted involvement in attacks on two Bali nightclubs and Jakarta’s J.W. Marriott Hotel.
Jhoni Hendrawan, a 32-year-old trader also known as Idris, sat silently as prosecutors read out the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of death under the country’s harsh anti-terror law. Outside the courtroom, Hendrawan, who was arrested last year, said he took part in the attacks to punish the U.S.”I just surrender my fate to God,” he said. “The important thing for me is to do my best in order to uphold Islam. The target of my acts was America and its henchmen who oppress Islam.”
Prosecutor Tubagus Arief Azis told the court that Hendrawan surveyed the two targets of the Oct. 12, 2002, Bali attack that killed 202 people, helped finance the bombings and arranged transportation and accommodations for the other suspects.”The defendant has helped plan and commit crimes of terrorism that resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of public facilities,” he said. Azis said Hendrawan also had helped plan the Aug. 5, 2003, suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel that killed 12 people. Hendrawan expressed admiration for jailed Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who police want to question in connection with various terror attacks, including the Bali bombings. Bashir has denied any wrongdoing and is scheduled to be released from jail later this week after serving an 18-month sentence for immigration violations.Western governments say Bashir is the spiritual leader of the al-Qaida-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for the Bali and Marriott attacks. Thirty-two people have been convicted of involvement in the Bali attacks and have been given sentences ranging from three years in prison to death. One Marriott suspect was sentenced to 10 years in jail. Trials for four others are ongoing.
