The terrorist who built bombs to explode at churches in Medan on Christmas eve in 2000 got 11 years for 14 bombs. These bombs were intended to kill and maim innocent people and terrorize the populace in general and the sentence was less than nine and a half months per bomb.
The judge said that Edi received the order to produce the bombs from Polem, alias Eriyanto, the commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for Pasai region in Aceh. Polem has been put on the list of wanted persons.
Edi, according to the judge, had received Rp 28 million from Polem to assemble 14 bombs and to detonate the bombs at the homes of clergymen and churches in the cities.
Why such a light sentence?
The judge said the defendant’s activities had caused fear among people and endangered human lives. While the mitigating factors, according to him, were that Edi had been polite and cooperative during previous court hearings.
(My italics)
I would have thought that politeness and cooperation in the court were mandatory. I wonder what the sentence would have been if he had targeted mosques and imams?
Bomb blast convict gets 11 years’ imprisonment | The Jakarta Post
Tags: bombs, justice, law, light sentence, mitigating factors, terrorism