REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The West Jakarta District Court sentenced Hisyam bin Ali Zein alias Umar Patek to 20 years in jail on Thursday for his involvement in a number of terrorism crimes. The panel of judges led by Encep Yuliardi stated the 46-year old man had convincingly been found guilty of committing terrorism.

Encep said Umar had among others been proven keeping information about terrorism, involved in the bombings of churches in 2000 and the bombings in Bali in 2002 that killed 192 people, ordering the use of false information and using explosives without an official permit. 

The sentence was lower than life in prison demanded by the prosecutors. The prosecutors had demanded life imprisonment for Umar alias Abu Syekh alias Arsalan alias Abdul Karim alias Umar Kecil alias Umar Arab alias Umar Syekh alias Zacky and alias Anis Alawi Jafar for keeping information about terrorism, involvement in the bombings of a number of churches in 2000 and the bombings in Bali in 2002, in the test of weapons in Banten, military-styled training in Aceh, possessing explosives and falsifying documents. 

Umar Patek and his lawyers denied Umar`s involvement in the planning of terrorism activities and the test of weapons in Banten and military-styled training in Aceh. Umar Patek has asked for an apology to those who have become victims of terrorism activities in which he was involved and their families as well as the Christian community and the general public and government of Indonesia.

Umar Patek was a member of the Jamaah Islamiyah most wanted by the US, Philippine and Indonesian governments. The US government has even offered US$1 million to anyone who could catch him. Umar was arrested by the Pakistani security forces in Abottabad on January 25, 2011 and extradited to Indonesia on August 11, 2011.

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