The South Jakarta District Court on Thursday sentenced Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir to two and a half years' imprisonment for a minor role in the October 2002 Bali bombing. (Photo: Xinhua/Reuters)

(Photo: Xinhua/Reuters)

    JAKARTA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The South Jakarta District Court on Thursday sentenced Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir to two and a half years' imprisonment for a minor role in the October 2002 Bali bombing.

    Presiding judge Soedarto said that Ba'asyir was guilty of "evil conspiracy" to wage the act of terrorism that killed 202 people.

    But the court acquitted the cleric of the primary charge of inciting his followers to carry out the bombing at the Marriott Hotel here in August, 2003.

    Ba'asyir, 65, was serving his jail term for immigration offense when the attack took place.

    Upon hearing the verdict, Ba'asyir said he could not accept the sentence and would lodge an appeal to the higher court.

    The makeshift courtroom at the Ministry of Agriculture was tightly guarded by 2,300 officers against some 500 Ba'asyir's supporters at the scene.

    The court started the trial of Ba'asyir last October, who is believed to be the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a regional terror group whose aim is to establish a Muslim state in Southeast Asia. Enditem