Jakarta court jails six for Java bombings

December 9, 2011

The West Jakarta District Court has convicted six of a string of bombings, and responsibility for bomb alerts, a year ago on Java and sent them to prison. It is believed the group wished to begin a holy war.

Prosecutors wanted eight years for 29-year-old ringleader Roki Aprisdianto but the court gave him a six-year sentence. His five co-accused followers - all students or graduates from 's State Vocational School No. 2 - all received five years, less than the seven years the prosecution wanted. Neither Aprisdianto nor the prosecution will appeal; the defence may yet appeal the other decisions.

Agung Jati Santoso, 21, Tri Budi Santoso, 20, Nugroho Budi Santoso, 19, Yuda Anggoro, 19, Joko Lelono, 18, and Aprisdianto all saw convictions under anti-terrorism legislation from 2003. Their crimes began on December 1, 2009 in, with unexploded bombs found at three churches and two police posts. The town's Kliwon Market was rocked by a small explosion and six days later so was a church.

These were followed by an unexploded bomb at a mosque on December 23 and a Klaten bomb scare in which a cow excrement and a clock were left in another mosque. The convictions follow that of seventeen-year-old Arga Wiratama, given a two-year sentence. The group was arrested in January.

Mitigation cited by the court for Aprisdianto's five followers included their young ages and their good conduct during the trial.