CONVICTED JI LEADERS TESTIFY FOR PROSECUTION AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002144 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, INL FOR BARCLAY/ROESS/BUHLER DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA ROTH NCTC WASHDC NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC ID SUBJECT: CONVICTED JI LEADERS TESTIFY FOR PROSECUTION AT TERRORIST TRIALS REF: A. JAKARTA 1986 ¶B. JAKARTA 802 JAKARTA 00002144 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The trials of three alleged terrorists continue in Jakarta. Former Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leaders--who have been convicted of crimes--are cooperating with the prosecution and providing key testimony in the trials. The trials seem to be moving toward probable convictions. The positive legal process underscores the continued success of the GOI counterterrorism effort, including its deradicalization program which helped earn the trust of the former JI leaders. USG assistance continues to assist prosecutor capabilities. END SUMMARY. TRIALS CONTINUE ¶2. (C) The trials of three alleged JI-linked terrorists continue in the Central Jakarta District Court. The trials involve: -- Parmin (aka "Yaser Abdul Baar") has been charged with aiding and abetting terrorists; -- Adurrahim bin Thotib (aka "Abu Husna") has been charged with aiding and abetting terrorists and obstructing investigations into terrorist activities; and, -- Dr. Agus Purwanto has been charged with funding terrorist activities, aiding and abetting terrorists, conspiracy to commit terrorism and obstructing investigations into terrorist activities (ref A). If convicted, Purwanto faces the death penalty, while Parmin and Adurrahim bin Thotib each face a maximum sentence of 15 years. At this point, according to observers, the trials seem to be moving toward probable convictions. ¶3. (C) Purwanto was allegedly the head of JI operations in the Poso region of Sulawesi during the Christian-Muslim conflicts of 2000-2001. He was allegedly an associate of Hasanuddin, a JI leader who masterminded the beheadings of three Christian schoolgirls in 2005. Dr. Agus Purwanto and Adurrahim bin Thotib were arrested in Malaysia en-route to Syria in January 2008. Adurrahim bin Thotib had allegedly facilitated their travel through the falsification of passports. Parmin was allegedly an associate of Noordin M. Top (a JI leader on the run from authorities) and Dr. Azhahari (a JI leader killed in a confrontation with police in 2005). FORMER JI LEADERS TESTIFY ¶4. (C) The GOI case has been assisted by the testimony of former JI leaders. Convicted JI leader Hasanuddin (one name only) testified at the trial of Adurrahim bin Thotib, for example. (Note: Hasanuddin was convicted in 2006 for planning the Christian schoolgirl killings and is now incarcerated.) In his testimony on November 5, he said the defendant had known Abu Dujana and Zarkasih (major JI leaders who are now in jail) in Mindanao in the southern Philippines. During his testimony, Hasanuddin also described activities JAKARTA 00002144 002.2 OF 002 involving Abu Dujana and Zarkasih in the Philippines and Poso. ¶5. (C) In addition, Abu Dujana testified at the trials of two of the three alleged terrorists, Dr. Agus Purwanto and Adurrahim bin Thotib aka "Abu Husna," on November 12. Dujana was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 15 years in jail in April 2008 (ref B). In his testimony, Dujana said Agus Purwanto and Abu Husna had been his students at a militant training camp in the southern Philippines in 1999, learning basic military training, knowledge of Sharia (Islamic law) and the meaning of jihad (holy war). ¶6. (C) Based on transcripts provided by our Court Monitor (please protect),the testimony of the two JI leaders is not as compelling as the testimony provided by less noteworthy witnesses, such as an official from the passport office. The testimony (and who it was from) was valuable to the prosecution, however. CONTINUED STRONG CT EFFORTS ¶7. (C) The Indonesian government counterterrorism effort continues to move forward at full steam. The testimony by the former JI leaders underscored the continued success of the GOI's efforts to gain the trust of radical detainees. Abu Dujana and Hasanuddin, in fact, are two of the most senior to testify for the prosecution ever. According to GOI CT Coordinating Desk Chief Ansyaad Mbai, SD-88 (the GOI's elite anti-terror police) won the cooperation of Abu Dujana and Zarkasih after their arrests by treating them humanely and providing assistance to their families. Developing productive relationships with terrorist prisoners has been an integral component of the GOI's de-radicalization program. ¶8. (C) The USG-funded AGO Task Force on Terrorism and Transnational Crime (SATGAS) has strengthened the GOI's ability to prosecute arrested terrorists successfully. In addition to the three alleged militants on trial, both Hasanuddin's and Abu Dujana's terrorism trials were carried out by SATGAS prosecutors. Much of this success is due to the close cooperation between Task Force prosecutors and SD-88 officials in reviewing the evidence. Sponsoring such close collaboration, historically alien to Indonesian justice, has been a major focus of U.S. assistance to Indonesian police and prosecutors. HUME