Jakarta (AsiaNews) A man found guilty of harbouring one of Indonesia's most wanted terrorists, the Malaysian-born Noordin Moh top, was spared the death sentence. However, Subur Sugiyarto will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Judge Muhammad Effendi Murod, who presided over the provincial court in Semarang (Central Java) that tried the defendant, said that he "deserved life in prison because of his dangerous ties" to the terrorist leader.
Subur Sugiyarto, 33, provided the fugitive Malaysian with a hiding place for two months in the town of Semarang.
Noordin Moh Top is considered a top leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network linked to al-Qaeda. The group operates in South-East Asia.
Subur was also found in possession of automatic guns and various weapons. He was actively involved in training young Muslim fundamentalists to carry out terror attacks in Indonesia.
The judges also found him guilty of "exploiting Islamic teachings for a political agenda and against the state's fight against terrorism".
Initially the prosecutor in the case had called for the death penalty.
As the sentence was read in court, the defendant expressed his reaction by shouting "Allah is great"
The trail was held under tight security with at least 256 men from the anti-terror police and the anti-bomb terror squads.
Another defendant, 29-year-old Ardi Wibowo who is also linked to Noordin Moh Top, was sentenced to six years in jail for acting as the Malaysian terrorist's main courier.