The South Jakarta District Court found on Friday Aman Abdurrahman guilty of inciting several terror attacks in Indonesia and sentenced the radical cleric to death.

"The defendant has been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of inciting others to commit terrorism," presiding judge Akhmad Jaini read in the verdict.

Aman, the de facto leader of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a local affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, had been found responsible for inciting others to commit at least five terror attacks in Indonesia, including the Thamrin shootings and suicide bombings in 2016 on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta and the Kampung Melayu bombings in East Jakarta last year.

The panel of five judges found his teachings were behind the terror attacks.

Aman denied that he was involved in the attack, despite admitting that he had urged his followers to go to Syria to join the IS in its quest to establish a global caliphate.

He denounced in his defense plea the recent terror attacks in Indonesia, saying the perpetrators were ignorant and mentally ill.

The judges dismissed Aman's claim, saying based on witnesses’ testimony he had instructed his followers to create chaos and panic in Indonesia as mandated by IS leader Al-Baghdadi.</s>Jakarta: Radical cleric Aman Abdurrahman was on Friday sentenced to death for masterminding the 2018 Thamrin bombings that killed four civilians and injured dozens.



 "Aman Abdurrahman aka Abu Sulaiman is proven guilty of committing a terror crime," said presiding judge Akhmad Jaini at the South Jakarta District Court building on Friday, June 22, 2018.

"The death sentence is given based on the evidence," he added.Aman is widely known as the founder of Jamaah Ansharud Daulah (JAD) terror network. He is also believed to be behind some other terror activities.Police deployed more hundreds of officers to guard the trial. They prohibited civilians -- except for court employees and journalists -- to enter the court compound."He personally doesn't want to appeal the decision," Aman's lawyer Asrudin Hatjani told reporters after the trial.(WAH)</s>Jakarta: Indonesian cleric Aman Abdurrahman was sentenced to death today over his role in a 2016 Islamic State terror attack that saw a suicide bomber blow himself up at a Jakarta Starbucks cafe.

Heavily armed police guarded the hearing at a Jakarta court — which had earlier found Abdurrahman guilty of masterminding the attack that killed which left four attackers and four civilians dead — as it ordered his execution. "(The defendant) has been proven to have committed a criminal act of terrorism," said judge Akhmad Jaini, who also cited Abdurrahman's involvement in other attacks for handing down the death penalty. "He will be sentenced to death."

The convicted terror mastermind, who sat on a defendant's chair in the middle of the courtroom, appeared bored with the proceedings and showed little reaction to the sentence. Executions are carried out by firing squad in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, which has long struggled with Islamist militancy.

In 2002, bombings at the resort island of Bali killed over 200 — mostly foreign tourists. It was Indonesia's worst-ever terror attack. The assault in the capital two years ago saw security forces battle gun-toting militants near the cafe where a suicide bomber detonated his explosives. Last month, prosecutors demanded that Abdurrahman be handed a death sentence for his role in the attack, which was the first claimed by IS in Southeast Asia.

Considered the de facto head of all IS supporters in Indonesia, Abdurrahman — believed to be 46 — is also the spiritual leader of local extremist network Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD). Authorities have said JAD was involved in the 2016 attack and a recent wave of suicide bombings in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya.

Two families — including girls aged nine and 12 — blew themselves up at churches and a police station last month, killing 13. Authorities have not charged Abdurrahman — who was already in jail on a separate terror conviction — over the Surabaya attacks.

Despite being imprisoned since 2010, Abdurrahman has recruited militants to join IS, is thought to have been in communication with leaders of the jihadist group, and is the main translator for IS propaganda in Indonesia, according to analysts and authorities.</s>An ISIS cleric has been sentenced to death for masterminding the group's first attack in Indonesia - a suicide bombing at a Starbucks cafe.

Aman Abdurrahman had earlier been found guilty of ordering the atrocity, which left four dead in the city of Jakarta in 2016.

Several hundred heavily armed counterterrorism police guarded the hearing for the sentencing as Abdurrahman was convicted over what was the first attack claimed by the international terror network in Southeast Asia.

During a trial, prosecutors said Abdurrahman's instructions from prison, where he was serving a terrorism-related sentence, resulted in several attacks in Indonesia

Executions are carried out by firing squad in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, which has long struggled with Islamist militancy.

The deadly assault in the capital two years ago saw security forces battle gun-toting militants near the cafe where a suicide bomber detonated his explosives.

'(The defendant) has been proven to have committed a criminal act of terrorism,' said judge Akhmad Jaini, who also cited Abdurrahman's involvement in other plots for the ruling. He will be sentenced to death.'

Abdurrahman, who sat on a defendant's chair in the middle of the courtroom, appeared bored and showed little reaction as machine gun-toting guards stood nearby.

He gestured to his legal team and briefly kissed the floor as the panel of five judges announced the sentence while counterterrorism officers guarding him uttered 'praise be to God.'

His lawyer, Asludin Hatjani, described the ruling as 'unfair', citing a lack of evidence connecting Abdurrahman to the deadly attack.

In 2002, bombings at the resort island of Bali killed over 200 - mostly foreign tourists - in Indonesia's worst-ever terror attack.

Two years ago, Jakarta came under attack by a team of gun-wielding jihadists. Prosecutors demanded last month that Abdurrahman be handed a death sentence for his role in that assault.

Considered the de facto head of ISIS supporters in Indonesia, Abdurrahman - believed to be 46 - is also the spiritual leader of local extremist network Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD).

Authorities have said JAD was involved in the 2016 Jakarta attack and a recent wave of suicide bombings in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya.

Two families - including girls aged nine and 12 - blew themselves up at churches and a police station last month, killing 13.

Authorities have not charged Abdurrahman - who was already in jail on a separate terror conviction - over the Surabaya attacks.

Despite being imprisoned since 2010, he has recruited militants to join IS, is thought to have been in communication with leaders of the jihadist group, and is the main translator for ISIS propaganda in Indonesia, according to analysts and authorities.

Although considered Indonesia's largest pro-ISIS coalition, JAD's structure and links to the network are murky.

The Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict has said JAD is 'a generic term' used for any ISIS supporter and functions more as an umbrella organisation than a coherent group.

Formed in 2015, JAD is thought to be composed of some two dozen Indonesian groups that have pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to the US State Department, which last year designated it as an extremist network.

Apart from the 2016 Jakarta attacks, JAD carried out suicide attacks the following year which killed three policemen and injured a dozen others at a busy bus station in Jakarta.

It has also been linked to a series of other plots including a firebomb attack on a church that killed a toddler and a plan to launch a Christmas-time suicide bombing. This was foiled when the militants planning the attack were killed.</s>Jakarta: An Indonesian court has sentenced radical Islamic cleric Aman Abdurrahman to death by firing squad for inspiring his followers to commit a wave of terror attacks.

Judge Ahmad Zaini handed down the death penalty at South Jakarta District Court on Friday.

The cleric, also known as Oman Rochman, was on trial for ordering five terror attacks carried out by Islamic State-inspired militants known as JAD between 2016-17, including the 2016 Jakarta bombing.

Abdurrahman is considered JAD's de facto leader. JAD or JAT, Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid, is a splinter cell of Jemaah Islamiyah, the group responsible for the Bali bombing in 2002 and the attack on the Australian embassy in 2004.

A statement from the panel of five judges said: "the defendant's religious outreach inspired his followers to commit terrorism so the defendant must take responsibility."</s>His lawyer, Asludin Hatjani, said that he had met the cleric Friday morning before court began, and Abdurrahman had told him that he would "praise God" if he was sentenced to death. He has the right to appeal, and Hatjani says he will consult with his client to determine whether they will exercise that right.

As many as 500 officers were deployed the the South Jakarta District court for the reading of the verdict, according to South Jakarta Deputy Police Chief Budi Sartono.

Abdurrahman prostrated himself on the floor of the courtroom as the sentence was read out.

The US State Department designated JAD as a terrorist organization last year, describing it as an umbrella group formed in 2015 and composed of almost two dozen Indonesian extremist outfits that pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Abdurrahman is the highest ranked cleric associated with the group. Aman was scheduled to appear at a court hearing in May, but it was postponed after a deadly riot broke out at the jail where he was being held in Depok, West Java. The defendant had plead not guilty before the court's verdict. The date of his planned execution by firing squad has not been set, as the defense decides whether to appeal. Up to 700 Indonesians have traveled to Syria in recent years to fight with anti-regime forces, with the majority allying themselves with ISIS, according to the Indonesian government. Indonesia fighters have also appeared in ISIS propaganda. Indonesia has long struggled with domestic terrorist groups, particularly Jemaah Islamiyah, which claimed responsibility for 11 attacks between 2000 and 2010, including the deadly 2002 Bali bombings, which left more than 200 people dead and hundreds injured, many of them tourists. Three families were behind the ISIS-inspired bombings in Indonesia's Surabaya, police said Jemaah Islamiyah's capabilities have been steadily eroded by a concerted counter-terrorism effort since 2009. Indonesia has invested heavily in counter-terrorism, establishing the elite special forces unit Detachment 88, which has received support and training from the US and Australia, and has been credited with greatly reducing the number of attacks. , the UN Security Council said the group's losses in Iraq and the Syria may intensify the threat to South-East Asia. , the UN Security Council said the group's losses in Iraq and the Syria may intensify the threat to South-East Asia. However, in a report on ISIS published earlier this year , the UN Security Council said the group's losses in Iraq and the Syria may intensify the threat to South-East Asia. The report named JAD and Jamaah Ansarul Khilafah as key ISIS-linked groups in Indonesia, saying that the former has been responsible for more attacks, but that the latter is a "growing threat."</s>Alwaght- An Indonesian court has sentenced to death Aman Abdurrahman, a cleric considered to be the ideological leader of Jemaah Ansharut Daulah, the Indonesian supporters of the ISIS Takfiri terrorist group.

He was sentenced to death on Friday over his role in a deadly 2016 suicide attack at Jakarta Starbucks cafe carried out by an affiliate of ISIS.

Abdurrahman, who police and prosecutors said is a key ideologue for ISIS, in the world's largest Muslim nation, kneeled and kissed the floor as the panel of five judges announced the sentence.

Several hundred paramilitary and counterterrorism police secured the Jakarta court where the trial took place.

Fears of attacks have been elevated in Indonesia after suicide bombings in the country's second-largest city, Surabaya, last month that were carried out by families including their young children.

The suicide bombings in Surabaya killed 26 people, including 13 attackers. Two families carried out the attacks, using children as young as 7.

Police said the leader of those bombers was part of the network of fighters inspired by Abdurrahman.

During the trial, prosecutors said Abdurrahman's instructions from prison, where he was serving a terrorism-related sentence, resulted in several attacks in Indonesia.

The court said there was no reason for leniency. It gave seven days for defense lawyers to consider lodging an appeal.

Abdurrahman has refused to recognize the authority of the court, part of his rejection of secular government in Indonesia and desire to replace it with ISIS Takfiri ideology.

According to prosecutors, Abdurrahman founded Jemaah Anshorut Daulah, which pledged allegiance to ISIL and was opposed to Indonesia's secular government.

Executions in Indonesia, which has long faced threats from armed groups, are carried out by firing squad.</s>A radical cleric has been sentenced to death by an Indonesian court for ordering Islamic State group-affiliated militants to carry out attacks including the January 2016 suicide bombing at a Starbucks in Jakarta.

A radical cleric has been sentenced to death by an Indonesian court for ordering Islamic State group-affiliated militants to carry out attacks including the January 2016 suicide bombing at a Starbucks in Jakarta.

Aman Abdurrahman, who police and prosecutors say is a key ideologue for IS militants in the world’s largest Muslim nation, kneeled and kissed the floor as the panel of five judges announced the sentence.

Several hundred paramilitary and counterterrorism police secured the Jakarta court where the trial took place. Fears of attacks have been elevated in Indonesia after suicide bombings in the country’s second-largest city, Surabaya, last month that were carried out by families including their young children.

Police say the leader of those bombers was part of the network of militants inspired by Abdurrahman. Aman Abdurrahman reacts after his sentence hearing at South Jakarta District Court (Tatan Syuflana/AP) During the trial, prosecutors said Abdurrahman’s instructions from prison, where he was serving a terrorism-related sentence, resulted in several attacks in Indonesia.

They included the Starbucks attack in the capital that killed four civilians and four militants, an attack on a bus terminal in Jakarta that killed three police officers and an attack on a church in Kalimantan that killed a two-year-old girl. Several other children suffered serious burns from the Kalimantan attack.

The court said there was no reason for leniency. It gave seven days for defence lawyers to consider lodging an appeal. Abdurrahman has refused to recognise the authority of the court, part of his rejection of secular government in Indonesia and desire to replace it with Shariah law.

Reflecting a dire lack of supervision of militants in Indonesia’s overcrowded prisons, Abdurrahman was able to spread radicalism and communicate with his supporters on the outside through visitors and video calls, they say.

The suicide bombings in Surabaya killed 26 people, including 13 attackers. Two families carried out the attacks, using children as young as seven. Abdurrahman was sentenced to prison in 2004 after a bomb he made prematurely exploded at a house in West Java, and again in 2011 for his role in helping set up a jihadi training camp in a mountainous area of Aceh province.</s>An Indonesian court has sentenced to death Aman Abdurrahman, a cleric considered to be the ideological leader of Jemaah Ansharut Daulah, the Indonesian supporters of the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). He was convicted of masterminding several militant attacks across the country, Reuters reported.</s>JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - An Indonesian court has sentenced radical cleric Aman Abdurrahman to death for ordering Islamic State group-affiliated militants to carry out attacks including the January 2016 suicide bombing at a Starbucks in Jakarta.

Several hundred police secured the Jakarta court where Abdurrahman's verdict was announced Friday. Prosecutors had demanded the death penalty.

Police and prosecutors say Abdurrahman is the key ideologue for IS militants in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation.

Fears of attacks have been elevated in Indonesia after suicide bombings in the country's second-largest city, Surabaya, last month that were carried out by families including their young children.

Police say the leader of those bombers was part of the network of militants inspired by Abdurrahman.
A court in Jakarta convicts cleric Aman Abdurrahman of inciting others to commit terror attacks in support of ISIS and sentence him to death.