An Islamic militant accused of involvement in bombing Bali nightclubs and Jakarta's Marriott Hotel went on trial yesterday in the Indonesian capital and could face the death sentence if found guilty.
Jhoni Hendrawan, also known as Idris, is the last detained Bali bomb suspect to stand trial. He is charged with planning the Bali bombings by attending several meetings along with other suspects between August and September 2002.
He also detonated a bomb that did not claim casualties near the US consulate in the resort island on Oct. 12, 2002, prosecutor Tubagus Arief said.
The bomb exploded almost simultaneously with two other devices, killing 202 people, mostly young foreign holidaymakers, in the Kuta nightclub strip.
Hendrawan, 30, also allegedly took part in a survey to pick targets for the bombs.
The al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) is blamed for the Bali bombings and the attack on the Marriott last August which killed 12 people. The attacks were staged to avenge perceived Western oppression of Muslims.
Hendrawan, in comments before the trial began, admitted that he was involved in some bombings.
"What is clear we carried out some of those [bombings]," he said. "Those were intended to remind them not to treat Muslims tyranically."
But he said alleged JI chief Abu Bakar Bashir was not involved in the Bali bombings.
"I can only pray that he be granted salvation by Allah," he said.
Prosecutors also charged Hendrawan with transporting 130kg of explosives which were later used in the Marriott blast.
He could face a death sentence if convicted of the Bali bombings and receive 20 years if found guilty of involvement in the Marriott attack.
Hendrawan's trial had been transferred from Bali to Jakarta because of his alleged involvement in the Marriott blast.
Courts in Bali have sentenced 33 people for the bombings. Three people were sentenced to death by firing squad, four others were given life sentences and the remainder received jail terms ranging from 16 years to three years.
Several key Bali suspects are still being hunted, including Malaysian explosives experts Noordin Mohammad Top and Azahari Husin, who are also accused of involvement in the Marriott blast.
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