The Jakarta Post, 12/19/2003 3:22:27 PM
Ba'asyir to file Supreme Court appeal against jail term
JAKARTA (AFP): Militant Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir will petition
the Supreme Court on Friday against an appeal court ruling that he must serve three
years in jail, his lawyer said.
Wirawan Adnan said the appeal would be delivered to the top court later on Friday.
In September a district court convicted Bashir of treason through taking part in a
Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) plot to overthrow the government. But it said there was no proof
that he headed the terror network, as prosecutors alleged.
The appeal court this month cleared Ba'asyir of treason. It upheld his conviction for
immigration offences and forging documents but cut his jail term from four years to
three.
But defence lawyers want him cleared of all charges. "The letter stating our appeal to
the Supreme Court was signed by Ustadz (teacher) Ba'asyir himself and this is a form
of our protest against the appeal court ruling," Adnan said.
Ba'asyir, 65, has denied any links to terrorism and said he was framed by
Washington because he campaigns for Islamic sharia law.
Adnan said he believed the appeal court ruling was made due to "heavy influence by
America and Singapore" on the government of Megawati Soekarnoputri.
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