Contrast this to the light sentence given to the jihadist leader Abu Bakar Bashir for his involvement in the Bali bombings. From AFP, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
PALU, Indonesia – The execution of three Indonesian Christians on death row for inciting violence against Muslims six years ago loomed Thursday, with security forces on alert amid fears of religious strife.
Police said this week that Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marianus Riwu were to face a firing squad in religiously-divided Central Sulawesi province on Thursday….
The three poor farmers, who have denied charges that they masterminded grisly attacks against Muslims, had initially been scheduled for execution last month but were granted a last-minute stay of execution.
Pope Benedict XVI had sent a plea for clemency to the Indonesian president just hours beforehand, but authorities in the world’s most populous Muslim nation denied any link.
Rights activists have raised concerns about the fairness of their trial and complained that few others have been convicted for violence that rocked Central Sulawesi in 2000-01, leaving those most responsible on the run….
Islamic groups have urged the government to proceed with the executions, but Indonesia’s Christian minority has protested.
About 1,000 people of various denominations took to the streets in Atambua, West Timor, on Thursday, to peacefully protest the executions and pray, police there told AFP by telephone.
Amnesty International on Wednesday said it was “deeply disappointed” to hear about the planned executions, which would be the first carried out in Indonesia since May 2005, according to the group.
Supporters of the trio fear that their case has become politicised and linked to the case of three Islamic militants who are on death row for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people.