Radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has escaped the death penalty in relation to the discovery of a terrorist cell and paramilitary training camp after Indonesian prosecutors dropped two key charges.
But the 72-year-old, who many suspect of being behind the deadly 2002 Bali bombings, could still spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty of raising funds for the camp, discovered last year in a mountainous jungle area in the Indonesian province of Aceh.
In delivering their sentence request in the South Jakarta District Court on Monday, prosecutors conceded they had failed to prove the primary charge of trafficking in explosives and weapons for use in a terrorist act.
They also failed to prove a secondary charge of using violence or threats of violence to cause terror.
Both charges, which carry a maximum penalty of death, were, therefore, dropped.
However, they maintained there was enough evidence, collected from a number of Bashir's former allies, to prove he was involved in raising funds for the camp and the terrorist cell known as the al-Qaeda of the Veranda of Mecca.
It's believed the group was planning to carry out attacks with suicide squads targeting Westerners, political leaders and police in Indonesia.
