An Indonesian court jailed an alleged member of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group for 10 years for his role in the deadly bombing of a Jakarta hotel but cleared him of involvement in the Bali blasts.

Judges said Jhoni Hendrawan, alias Idris, was guilty of taking part "in an evil plot" to attack the Marriott hotel in August 2003, killing 12 people, but could not be convicted over the Bali bombings due to a legal technicality.

Delivering her verdict in South Jakarta's district court, Judge Asnahwati said Idris, 31, was guilty of "assisting a crime of terrorism" for possessing explosives and attempting to deliver them for use in the Marriott attack.

But she said a Constitutional Court ruling in July that threw out the retroactive use of an anti-terror law introduced after the October 2002 Bali blasts meant charges that he played a key role in the Bali attack were not viable.

Prosecutors had said Idris helped detonate one of three bombs on Bali which killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists. The device he allegedly detonated blew up near the US consulate on the resort island, causing no casualties.

Asnahwati also said Idris was not guilty of "direct or indirect" planning or execution of the Marriott attack, but had transported 130 kilograms of explosives later used in the blast.

The Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, to which police say Idris belongs, is accused of staging both the Bali and Marriott blasts to avenge perceived Western oppression of Muslims worldwide.

Idris told journalists before his trial that "according to the law I am clearly guilty" and asked to be punished. Speaking from his holding cell, he also sought forgiveness from "those to whom I have been cruel".

The judge's decision to throw out the charges relating to the Bali attack will fuel disquiet over the legality of previous convictions which have seen 33 people placed behind bars. Three face the death penalty.

The Constitutional Court has said the convictions were not affected by the invalidation of the retroactive anti-terror law as the ruling could not be backdated.

But a lawyer for militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, accused of leading Jemaah Islamiyah and in detention ahead of his own terror trial, said Tuesday's sentence made a mockery of the earlier Bali bombing convictions.

"Today's ruling has a very major effect on people currently detained for Bali bombing cases, namely ustadz (teacher) Bashir, who I think should be released immediately," Ahmad Khalid said.

Although police have dropped Bali-related charges against Bashir, he still faces conviction and a possible death sentence over the Marriott attack.

Relatives of victims of the Bali attack also expressed dissatisfaction that Idris would not be tried for his alleged involvement in the resort island blasts.

"I'm not happy with the sentence because he has made our lives miserable. He deserves death," said Ketut Jontri, whose taxi driver husband was killed.

In a separate trial meanwhile Tuesday, prosecutors demanded a 12-year jail sentence for another suspect in the Marriott bombing, Ismail, alias Ihsan.

They charged he had transported chemicals used in the blast, surveyed the site of the attack and helped assemble the bomb, and was guilty of possessing explosives and plotting terror acts.Agence France Presse - August 24, 2004

An Indonesian court jailed an alleged member of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group for 10 years for his role in the deadly bombing of a Jakarta hotel but cleared him of involvement in the Bali blasts.

Judges said Jhoni Hendrawan, alias Idris, was guilty of taking part "in an evil plot" to attack the Marriott hotel in August 2003, killing 12 people, but could not be convicted over the Bali bombings due to a legal technicality.

Delivering her verdict in South Jakarta's district court, Judge Asnahwati said Idris, 31, was guilty of "assisting a crime of terrorism" for possessing explosives and attempting to deliver them for use in the Marriott attack.

But she said a Constitutional Court ruling in July that threw out the retroactive use of an anti-terror law introduced after the October 2002 Bali blasts meant charges that he played a key role in the Bali attack were not viable.

Prosecutors had said Idris helped detonate one of three bombs on Bali which killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists. The device he allegedly detonated blew up near the US consulate on the resort island, causing no casualties.

Asnahwati also said Idris was not guilty of "direct or indirect" planning or execution of the Marriott attack, but had transported 130 kilograms of explosives later used in the blast.

The Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, to which police say Idris belongs, is accused of staging both the Bali and Marriott blasts to avenge perceived Western oppression of Muslims worldwide.

Idris told journalists before his trial that "according to the law I am clearly guilty" and asked to be punished. Speaking from his holding cell, he also sought forgiveness from "those to whom I have been cruel".

The judge's decision to throw out the charges relating to the Bali attack will fuel disquiet over the legality of previous convictions which have seen 33 people placed behind bars. Three face the death penalty.

The Constitutional Court has said the convictions were not affected by the invalidation of the retroactive anti-terror law as the ruling could not be backdated.

But a lawyer for militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, accused of leading Jemaah Islamiyah and in detention ahead of his own terror trial, said Tuesday's sentence made a mockery of the earlier Bali bombing convictions.

"Today's ruling has a very major effect on people currently detained for Bali bombing cases, namely ustadz (teacher) Bashir, who I think should be released immediately," Ahmad Khalid said.

Although police have dropped Bali-related charges against Bashir, he still faces conviction and a possible death sentence over the Marriott attack.

Relatives of victims of the Bali attack also expressed dissatisfaction that Idris would not be tried for his alleged involvement in the resort island blasts.

"I'm not happy with the sentence because he has made our lives miserable. He deserves death," said Ketut Jontri, whose taxi driver husband was killed.

In a separate trial meanwhile Tuesday, prosecutors demanded a 12-year jail sentence for another suspect in the Marriott bombing, Ismail, alias Ihsan.

They charged he had transported chemicals used in the blast, surveyed the site of the attack and helped assemble the bomb, and was guilty of possessing explosives and plotting terror acts.