The verdicts were read at the district court of Serang, Banten, in three different court rooms, during sessions lasting from 10 am to 3 pm and attended by hundreds of supporters of the defendants from Lebak, Pandeglang and Serang districts.
In the third court room, presiding judge Rasminto sentenced KH Ujang Arif bin Abuya Surya to six months in jal. He said in his verdict that the defendant had been proven guilty of instigating verbally and in a written form to make other people commit a crime thus violating Article 160 of the Criminal Code.
"The defendant has been convincingly and legitimately proven guilty of committing a crime defined in Article 160 of the Criminal Code and therefore we sentence him to six months in jail," he said.
Another defendant tried in the same room, namely Dani bin Misra, was sentenced to three months in jail after being proven guilty of participating in violence that had caused deaths. His sentence was lower than the five months demanded by the prosecutor.
KH Endang meanwhile was sentenced to six months in jail for instigation defined in Article 160 of the Criminal Code.
In another court room, presiding judge Agoeng Rahardjo sentenced Idris alias Idis bin Mahdani to five months and 15 days in jail after being found guilty of carrying a machete during the clash and violating Emergency Law number 21 of 1951. The prosecutor`s demand was six months in jail.
Ujang bin Sohari was sentenced to six months in jail for violating Article 170 of the Criminal Code, a month lighter than the prosecutor`s demand.
Other defendants in the case, namely Muhamad bin Syarif and KH Muhamad Munir, were also sentenced to six months in jail for instigation.
Presiding judge Cipta Sinuraya in the main court room meanwhile sentenced Adam Damini bin Arman, Yusri bin Bisri, Rohidin, Saad Baharudin and Yusuf Abidin to six months in jail each.
A member of the Moslem Lawywers Team, Agus Setiawan, said the defendants would still consider wether or not to appeal the verdicts. He said the judges should have considered reasons to pardon the defendants.
He said the clash with the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect members was first triggered by attacks from Ahmadiyah followers while local administration officials and police had also tried to counsel the Ahmadiyah followers with regard to the joint decree of three ministers regarding the ban on Ahmadiyah activities before.
"Personally, I would appeal the verdicts," he said.
Not all of the defendants would have to stay in jail fully as their sentences were given minus time in detention. One of the defendants, Idris, for example, would only have to spend four more days in jail as he had been in detention since February 17, 2011.
The clash between villagers and Ahmadiyah followers in Cikeusik, Pandeglang, on February 6, 2011 left three Ahmadiyah followers dead and some others wounded.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
