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Muslims on trial over girl beheadings
 THREE Indonesian Muslims went on trial in Jakarta today accused over the beheading of three Christian schoolgirls a year ago in a crime that triggered international condemnation. The men, appearing in two separate trials in the capital Jakarta, are all accused of plotting terrorism and face the death penalty if convicted.The teenage girls were walking home from school when they were beheaded by machete in October 29, 2005. Two heads were found near a police post and the third outside a church. The attack took place in the Gebang Rejo area of the religiously-divided district of Poso where Muslims and Christians live in roughly equal numbers. At Central Jakarta district court, prosecutors accused the first defendant, Hasanuddin alias Hasan alias Slamet Raharjo, 34, of having "planned and/or mobilised others to conduct crimes of terrorism by intentionally using violence with the aim of creating terror ... or cause massive numbers of victims." State prosecutor Payaman said Mr Hasanuddin and six other Muslims took part in planning and carrying out the murders. He quoted Mr Hasanuddin as having told his accomplices before the murder that "the aim of this activity is to seek justice for our brothers and sisters who have been sadistically and inhumanly slaughtered." Poso and its surrounding district have been the scene of sporadic unrest since violence between Muslims and Christians claimed around 1000 lives in 2000 and 2001. Mr Payaman named the others as Lilik Purnomo and Irwanto Irano, who were on trial separately, as well as four others still on the run. The prosecutor said Mr Hasanuddin asked a local Muslim cleric to hide the machete, allegedly telling him: "This contains a machete, please keep it safe as it has just been used." The joint trial of Mr Purnomo and Mr Irano opened later on the same charges. Prosecutors have said the trials are being held in Jakarta, rather than in Central Sulawesi which includes Poso, for "security considerations." The beheadings sparked an angry reaction in Indonesia. They were condemned by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono while Pope Benedict XVI deplored what he described as "barbaric murder." Posted by: Fred 2006-11-09 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=171398 |