Alleged Bali bombings mastermind goes on trial
An Afghanistan-trained militant went on trial in Indonesia today charged with masterminding last year’s Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people.
Imam Samudra said nothing to reporters as he was escorted out of an armoured police vehicle at the government building used to host the trial on the resort island.
About 50 armed officers patrolled the courthouse and roadblocks were set up nearby.
Dressed in a white loose fitting shirt and wearing an Islamic prayer cap, Samudra sat impassively as prosecutor Nyoman Dili began reading the indictment.
Samudra is charged with planning and executing the bloodiest terrorist attack since September 11.
His lawyers and police say he has confessed to carrying out the bombings. He is charged under anti-terror laws and, if found guilty, could be executed.
Samudra, 32, is suspected of being a key figure in the al-Qaida-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for carrying out the October 12 bombings.
He is the second of 33 suspects to go on trial over the bombings.
The trial of Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, accused of buying explosives and bomb-making material used in the attack began on May 12 and was also scheduled to continue today.
Samudra has told reporters he targeted the nightclubs in Bali because he was aiming to kill as many Americans as possible. Almost half the victims of the blast were Australian tourists, while seven were from the US.
