Abu Bakar Bashir... Leader of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council and proprietor of the al-Mukmin madrassah in Ngruki. The spriritual head of Jemaah Islamiya, which he denies exists. Bashir was jugged and then released in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings, which he blamed on a conspiracy among the U.S., Israel, and Australia ...
, who is accused of helping set up and fund a "terror" training camp in Indonesia's Aceh province, claimed his innocence on Monday in a final court appearance before the announcement of the verdict.
Bashir, 72, denies involvement with the training camp but has repeatedly defended it as legal under Islam.
The holy man told a Jakarta court that the case against him was fabricated and witnesses that testified by teleconference were doing so under pressure and so their testimonies could not be trusted.
Citing verses from the Koran, Bashir said he rejected the trial as counter to Islam.
Prosecutors have sought a life sentence for Bashir, who co-founded the Jemaah Islamiyah network, which is blamed for some of the country's deadliest suicide kabooms.
The group allegedly planned a string of attacks on foreigners and liquidations of moderate Mohammedan leaders, including Susilo Bambang, the country's former president.
Prosecutors say testimony from dozens of witnesses at Bashir's trial proved he not only incited others but also played an active role in terrorist activities.
A panel of five judges is to announce Bashir's verdict on June 16. The maximum penalty for the terror charges is death.
Indonesia, a secular nation of 237 million with more Mohammedans than any other in the world, has made strides in fighting terrorism since the first Jemaah Islamiyah-linked attack in Bali in 2002, which killed more than 200 people - mostly Western tourists.
But the country still has pockets of Mohammedan fighters who have carried out violent attacks in recent months on minorities and police.