Christians Under Attack

The three men - Agustyawarman, Heri Purwanto and Sugianto - were found guilty of conspiring and committing acts of terror as part of an alleged 10-member JI cell arrested in Palembang, South Sumatra, last year.

The men were found guilty of involvement in largely separate plots but were given equal sentences for an 'evil consensus', head judge Aswan Nurcahyo told the South Jakarta district court.

The judges found Purwanto guilty of involvement in the 2007 murder of Christian teacher Dago Simamora as well as an attack on Christian priest Yosua Winardi with a hammer.

Both Purwanto and Agustyawarman were found to have plotted attacks on other priests.

Agustyawarman was also found to have been involved in a plan to bomb a backpacker cafe on Sumatra island in 2006 which was aborted on fears of Muslim casualties.

'The factor aggravating the defendants' sentences is the fact they have never shown remorse for what they did. All their actions were done consciously,' Judge Nurcahyo said.

The three men yelled 'Allahu akbar' (God is greater) as their sentences were read out.

'From the start, I haven't cared if the sentence is harsh or light,' Agustyawarman said after the trial.

Their lawyer said the men were contemplating an appeal.

Singaporean Mohammad Hasan bin Saynudin, the self-confessed leader of the cell, is on trial on separate charges and has told the court he had met Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and planned to bomb Singapore's Changi airport.

Hasan is set to be sentenced on April 21. -- AFP

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