One of Indonesia's most-feared terrorists was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for his part in a plot to attack Western hotels and embassies in Jakarta.
Abu Tholut is one of about 120 militants who have been killed or arrested since authorities uncovered a terrorist training camp last year in the westernmost province of Aceh. Radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has already been sentenced for helping to set up the camp.
Presiding judge Musa Arif Aini said there was no doubt that Abu Tholut was involved in scouting a site for the camp and helping to provide assault rifles and other weapons for the militants.
He announced an eight-year sentence, considerably less than the 12 years prosecutors were seeking.
Abu Tholut's lawyer has seven days to appeal the sentence.
He criticized the verdict, saying the trial had proved Abu Tholut was in possession of arms but not that he had been involved in the Aceh plot.
Abu Tholut became one of Indonesia's most-wanted terrorism suspects after another key suspect in the Aceh plot — Dulmatin — was killed by police last year. Dulmatin was suspected of orchestrating the 2002 Bali night club bombings that killed 202 people.