Indonesian militant given life sentence in 2005 attack

JAKARTA – An Indonesian tribunal sentenced an Islamic militant who eluded seizure for 16 years to beingness successful situation connected Wednesday aft uncovering him blameworthy of making bombs utilized successful a 2005 marketplace onslaught that killed 22 people.

Upik Lawanga, known arsenic “professor,” is simply a cardinal subordinate of the Jemaah Islamiyah militant network, which the U.S. has designated a violent group. It 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.

The East Jakarta District Court recovered Lawanga, 43, blameworthy of engagement successful the May 28, 2005, onslaught astatine Tentena marketplace successful Poso territory which killed 22 radical and injured 91 others, mostly Christians. Muslim-Christian conflicts successful Poso successful Central Sulawesi state killed astatine slightest 1,000 radical from 1998 to 2002.

Lawanga was besides accused of gathering bombs utilized successful a 2004 rider minibus onslaught that killed six radical and a 2006 onslaught utilizing a flashlight weaponry that killed a Christian woman.

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“What the suspect has done was a transgression against humanity that near heavy wounds, trauma and sorrow for the families of the victims,” said Presiding Judge Sutikna, who goes by a azygous name.

Lawanga said helium would entreaty the decision. He argued successful tribunal that helium helped marque the bombs but did not transportation retired the attacks, saying helium did not cognize however they would beryllium used. He said helium was lone obeying orders from different elder members of the radical to assemble bombs to avenge Christians for the massacre of Muslims astatine an Islamic boarding schoolhouse during sectarian struggle successful May 2000.

He said his motive was the deaths of relatives and friends successful the Muslim-Christian struggle and the burning of mosques and his brother’s house.

Other militants testified that Lawanga was nicknamed the “professor” due to the fact that of his quality to physique bombs and firearms. They described him arsenic an important fig due to the fact that of his expertise.

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Lawanga said helium joined Jemaah Islamiyah successful Poso successful 2002 and learned however to assemble bombs from Azahari bin Husin, a Malaysian bomb-making mastermind who was killed successful a constabulary raid successful Indonesia successful 2005.

Lawanga near Poso aft the 2005 attacks and lived with his woman and children successful Lampung arsenic a duck farmer.

The proceedings began aboriginal September and was held remotely owed to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawanga, whose existent sanction is Taufiq Bulaga, became 1 of the country's astir wanted militants aft being named arsenic a fishy successful the Tentena marketplace attack. He was arrested past twelvemonth successful the aforesaid confederate municipality connected Sumatra land wherever Zulkarnaen, believed to beryllium the subject person of the Jemaah Islamiyah network, was arrested by counterterrorism constabulary a week later. Zulkarnaen had been connected the constabulary wanted database for 18 years.

Police, who learned of their hideout aft interrogating respective militants arrested earlier, recovered a bunker astatine Lawanga’s location with handmade guns and explosive materials.

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The 2 were tried separately astatine the aforesaid court.

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.

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