Bali bomb man jailed for Jakarta hotel blast

A Muslim militant was jailed for 10 years yesterday for his involvement in last year's bomb attack on a hotel in the Indonesian capital that killed 12 people.

A Muslim militant was jailed for 10 years yesterday for his involvement in last year's bomb attack on a hotel in the Indonesian capital that killed 12 people.

But the court in Jakarta ruled that Jhoni Hendrawan, alias Idris, could not be prosecuted over the Bali bombings, in which 202 people died, because of a ruling last month by the country's top court prohibiting the retroactive application of the anti-terrorism law used to charge him.

The verdict represented the first time the constitutional court's ruling had been tested in a terrorism case, and was likely to please lawyers for militants convicted of the Bali attacks who are planning appeals.

Hendrawan was convicted of providing the chemicals used to build the bomb used in the attack on the Marriott Hotel in August last year.

Prosecutors had accused him of playing a role in the Bali blasts, including attending planning meetings and helping survey the two nightclubs targeted in the attacks. Both attacks were blamed on the al-Qa'ida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, which is said to have operatives throughout south-east Asia.

Hendrawan said he would decide later whether to appeal. In earlier court sessions, he had admitted taking part in both attacks, which he said were aimed at America and "its henchmen who oppress Islam".

Hendrawan was charged under an anti-terrorism law rushed through parliament after the Bali attacks.

Last month, the constitutional court ruled that the law could not be used for crimes committed before its enactment.