Militant Handed 12-Year Sentence for Attempt on Wiranto's Life

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – An Indonesian court meted out a 12-year prison sentence to a man charged of attempting to kill former Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto. The West Jakarta District Court also handed a jail sentence to his accomplice.

Syahrial Alamsyah alias Abu Rara and his accomplice were charged in court after the two attempted to assassinate Wiranto during the latter’s visit to Pandeglang, Banten Province in October 2019.

“[The West Jakarta District Court] has sentenced defendant Syahrial Alamsyah alias Abu Rara to 12 years in jail, including time served,” said presiding judge Mazrial during the sentencing hearing on Thursday, June 26.

The judge also sentenced his wife and accomplice Fitria Diana as well as co-conspirator Samsudin alias Abu Basilah to nine and five years in jail, respectively.

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The defendants accepted their sentence, which are shorter than the 16 and 12 years advocated by prosecutors.

Syahrial’s defense attorneys maintained that their client is motivated by anti-government sentiment. “My client has not been proven to commit any terrorist offenses".

"However, he is guilty of causing bodily harm by stabbing [Wiranto],” Antara state news agency quoted his lawyer Kamsi as saying.

Syahrial also denied conspiring to kill Wiranto.

KOMPAS.com/ BONFILIO MAHENDRA WAHANAPUTRA LADJAR West Jakarta District Court sentencing hearing for the suspects behind former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wirantos attempted assassination in Pandeglang, Banten Province in (10/10/2020)

Evidence of guilt

But the court disagreed.

"We rule that the defendant is guilty of terrorism together with his wife," said Judge Masrizal. He added that Alamsyah belonged to Jamaah Anshor Daulah [JAD], a local extremist group affiliated to Islamic State [IS].

The IS-linked extremist group is responsible for a number of attacks, including suicide bombings at churches in Surabaya, East Java in 2018 that killed a dozen people. 

The court ruling said Syahrial and Fitria pledged allegiance to late IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. They added that the couple is also radicalized by hard-line propaganda on social media and watching videos of Muslims fighting in Syria.

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They also listened to speeches by jailed cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the firebrand who inspired the 2002 Bali bombings, and Aman Abdurrahman. The latter is the mastermind of a 2016 terrorist attack in Jakarta.

But prosecutors said Syahrial’s attack on Wiranto was done spontaneously.

“[Syahrial] and his family thought a police helicopter flying over the town of Menes, where the defendant lived, is meant to arrest him,” said Herry.

“Their fear is based on the arrest of a fellow JAD militant in Bekasi by the Densus 88 counterterrorist police the previous month, in September 2019.”

Expressing remorse

Syahrial has apologized to Wiranto’s aide Ahmad Fuad Syauqi, whom he wounded as the-then minister’s security detail seized him, and others injured in the attack.

Syahrial stabbed Wiranto as the latter arrived in Pandeglang for the grand opening of the Mathla’ul Anwar University on October 10, 2019. The former four-star general suffered serious internal injuries, but survived.

(Writer: Jimmy Ramadhan Azhari/Editor: Sabrina Asril)

Sources: 

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/06/26/05150091/divonis-12-tahun-penjara-ini-sosok-abu-rara-dan-motifnya-menusuk-wiranto?page=all#page2.