Heru Andriyanto & Mohd Adhe Bhakti – Prosecutors in the terrorism trial of Abu Bakar Bashir say they are preparing more than 130 witnesses whose testimonies they hope will help to finally put away the firebrand cleric who has beaten serious charges in previous trials.
Most of the witnesses are co-defendants in the case related to the paramilitary camp busted in Aceh last year, as well as followers of Bashir, who is scheduled to enter a plea on Thursday.
The 72-year-old faces three counts of funding terrorist activities; two counts of illegal firearm possession; a charge of mobilizing and inciting people to commit acts of terrorism; and a charge of using violence with intent to inflict human casualties.
He faces the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors introduced Bashir as the co-founder and leader of Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, a fundamentalist group whose aim was to establish an Islamic state in Indonesia.
Founded on Sept. 17, 2008, JAT acknowledges a single leadership, in this case Bashir, whose orders should be interpreted as the word of God and his prophet, the indictment says.
Seemingly afraid to again lose the case against Bashir, prosecutors linked him to the murder of police officers and a deadly bank heist in Medan, along with the main charge of financing the Aceh camp and mobilizing militants. These are some of the key witnesses:
Abu Tholut
In police custody after a major manhunt following the discovery of the Aceh camp and the deadly bank heist in Medan allegedly carried out by his group. He is also linked to several attacks on police officers.
Abu's case was notorious for highlighting the failure of the government's deradicalization program for terror convicts.
In July 2004, he was convicted of illegal possession of arms and making bombs for terror attacks and sentenced to seven years in prison. However, he was released on parole in 2007.
Prosecutors in the current case allege he was appointed by Bashir to lead the Aceh camp together with the late Dulmatin.
Ubaid aka Luthfi Haidaroh
Together with Bashir, he founded the fundamentalist group Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid, which aims to establish an Islamic state in Indonesia. He also acted as a treasurer, collecting and distributing funds for the Aceh training camp.
Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year prison sentence for him in his trial at the West Jakarta District Court.
Abdul Haris aka Haris Amir Falah
He was appointed by Bashir to chair the JAT's Jakarta branch in 2009. His role in the Aceh camp was to hook potential donors by showing them videos of the activities in Aceh and deliver a message from Bashir about the need to financially support paramilitary training.
The JAT Jakarta office was raided by police in the middle of last year, and from the documents seized police were able to arrest Bashir in West Java last August.
Syarif Usman
A native of Rangkas Bitung in Banten, Syarif is accused of providing at least Rp 200 million ($23,000) for the Aceh camp. He is alleged to have done so after meeting Bashir.
In his statement to police, Syarif says the cleric stayed overnight at his home last February and told him, "I'm running a jihad program that needs funding."
The doctor and Haris are currently standing trial at the South Jakarta District Court.
Hariyadi Usman
He has been introduced by prosecutors as a businessman with a degree in economics.
Prosecutors allege he was an admirer of Bashir for years until he decided to meet the cleric in person at Bashir's Islamic boarding school in Ngruki, Central Java, in September 2008.
He donated Rp 150 million to Bashir for the Aceh camp, raised in part from the sale of his car. Hariyadi is being tried at the West Jakarta District Court.