Timeline: Bali bomb trials

Bomb site
More than 200 people were killed in the Bali bomb
BBC News Online chronicles the key events in the aftermath of the Bali attacks.

12 October 2002
- Two bombs explode in the Kuta tourist strip on the Indonesian island of Bali. One hits Paddy's Irish Bar, and the second explodes in a van outside the nearby Sari club. A total of 202 people die as a result. A third bomb explodes near Bali's US consulate, but no one is hurt.

19 October - Police arrest Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir in connection with a spate of church bombings across Indonesia in 2000. Intelligence officials suspect him of heading the shadowy South East Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiah - which is said to have links to Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

7 November
- Indonesian police arrest the first suspect for the Bali bomb blasts, a mechanic called Amrozi bin Nurhasyim. Under questioning, he admits to playing a role in the attacks.

12 November
- A taped message, purported to be from Osama Bin Laden, praises the Bali bombers as "zealous sons of Islam".

21 November
- Police arrest another key suspect, Imam Samudra, as he is about to board a ferry for Sumatra. Police believe he was the planner or "field commander" of the Bali operation.

4 December - Amrozi's older brother Mukhlas ( also known as Ali Gufron), is arrested close to the Central Javanese town of Solo. At the time of his arrest, he is not linked to the Bali attack, but he is later accused of being the "mastermind" behind the bombings. Police also say he is Jemaah Islamiah's operations chief.

14 January 2003
- Ali Imron, younger brother of Amrozi and Mukhlas, is arrested as he tries to flee the country.

28 January - After months of hinting, police formally blame Jemaah Islamiah for the bombings.

29 January
- Police link Abu Bakar Ba'asyir to the attacks, although he is not formally named as a suspect.

11 February
- Ali Imron publicly admits his role in the attacks, and demonstrates how they were carried out. He says he feels sorry for the families of the victims, but describes the US and its allies as "legitimate targets".

23 April - Abu Bakar Ba'asyir goes on trial, charged with plotting to overthrow the Jakarta Government, involvement in a series of church bombings and an aborted bomb attack in Singapore.

12 May - Amrozi goes on trial, charged with helping plan the attacks, as well as with buying the explosives and owning the van used in the bombings.

28 May
- While giving evidence at the trial of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, Mukhlas admits having a role in the bombings, and says he knows Osama Bin Laden well.

2 June
- Imam Samudra becomes the second key suspect to go on trial.

11 June
- Appearing at Amrozi's trial, Imam Samudra denies playing a direct role in the attacks, but says he could be "morally responsible".

16 June
- Mukhlas becomes the third key Bali suspect to go on trial.

17 June - An inquiry in Australia hears that Prime Minister John Howard's government knew of a possible threat to Bali four months before the attack.

23 June - Mukhlas accuses police interrogators of torturing him into confessing a role in the attacks. He asks the court to ignore his earlier admissions of guilt.

30 June - Police catch another key Bali suspect, Idris - who is alleged to have organised accommodation and financed the attack. Prosecutors also announce that they are seeking the death penalty against Amrozi.

14 July
- Amrozi tells the court that the attack had "positive aspects", because it encouraged people to re-embrace religion and weakened the corrupting influence of foreign tourists.

16 July
- Imam Samudra says the bombing was "justifiable" under Islamic teachings, and its purpose was to "avenge the killings of Muslims by the United States and its allies".

21 July -Ali Imron becomes the fourth key suspect to go on trial.

23 July
- Idris admits he was responsible for exploding the bomb near the US consulate in Bali.

28 July
- Prosecutors seek the death penalty for Imam Samudra.

31 July
- A key witness at the trial of one of the Bali bombing suspects says al-Qaeda may have helped fund the attack.

5 August -A car bomb explodes in Jakarta, which Indonesian police say has similarities to the Bali attack.

7 August
- Amrozi is found guilty of helping plan and carry out the attacks. He is sentenced to death.

14 August
- Hambali, dubbed the "Osama Bin Laden" of South East Asia, is arrested in Thailand. Police believe he was involved in the Bali bombings and a string of other regional attacks, as well as being a leading member of JI.

2 September - Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is convicted of subversion, after judges say he knew about and supported the actions of JI, even if he was not directly involved. The subversion charge is later overturned on appeal.

3 September
- Prosecutors ask for a 20-year jail term for Ali Imron, saying they do not want the death sentence because the defendant had expressed remorse for what he had done.

10 September
- Imam Samudra is found guilty of organising attacks and sentenced to death.

18 September
- Ali Imron is convicted of planning an act of terrorism and sentenced to life in prison, after the court said it had taken into account his expression of regret.

25 September - Lawyers for Amrozi lodge appeal against his death sentence, in a process expected to take years to resolve.

2 October
- Mukhlas is sentenced to death for acting as the overall co-ordinator of the attacks. He says he will appeal.

12 October - The first year anniversary of the bombings, which killed 202 people.

20 November - Imam Samudra lodges an appeal against his sentence with the Supreme Court.

7 January 2004 - The Supreme Court rejects Amrozi's appeal. His lawyers say they will now file a judicial review, a process which could take months.

29 January
- Sarjiyo, also known as Sawad, is jailed for life for helping to make the Bali bombs. He says he will appeal.

27 April
- Idris, also known as Jhoni Hendrawan, goes on trial, accused of helping to carry out the Bali attack.

30 April
- Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is rearrested on suspicion of terrorism, with police saying they have enough evidence to show he was the leader of militant group Jemaah Islamiah, blamed for the Bali bombings.

23 July
- Indonesia's highest court rules an anti-terrorism law enacted in the wake of the Bali attacks and used to convict the Bali bombers should not have been used retroactively.

28 July - Police drop plans to charge Abu Bakar Ba'asyir over the Bali bombings, but he will still be charged with heading Jemaah Islamiah.

24 August - Idris, also known as Jhoni Hendrawan, is cleared of his part in the Bali bombings, even though he admitted a role, due to July's ruling on the anti-terrorism law.




source:BBC news.

Comments

Anonymous said…
regarding to this issue, I've talked with a friend of mine (an indonesian,an air asia pilot)It was happened to be that on the day before the bombing, he (i call him caip. bambang) had a flight to bali. He said that he could see an armada of australian naval ship on the port there. And the nearby places were "sterilized". On the next day, there was a flight but with no official statement abt the flight/journey (no passenger list, the caip is unknown) but the destination was to Australia. I don't want to comment more abt this. juz wanna share a pilot (indonesian pilot) abt this particular issue. thnx
Ladyship Atie said…
owh,then what does it have to do with the issue?.

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