http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/alleged-terrorist-claims-she-wanted-to-die-a-martyr/367613
April 05, 2010 Putri Munawaroh, 21, who was pregnant when she was wounded and captured during a gun battle with police in September, claims she wanted to die a martyr. Her trial for sheltering infamous terrorist Noordin M Top is continuing in the Jakarta District Court. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) Alleged Terrorist Claims She Wanted to Die a Martyr An Indonesian woman went on trial Monday on charges of harboring Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist at the home where he was slain last year in a shootout with police. Judges opened and then immediately adjourned the trial of 21-year-old Putri Munawaroh, who was arrested after September's gunbattle at a home in Central Java. The trail was scheduled to resume Wednesday. The proceedings will focus on Munawaroh's ties to alleged militant mastermind Noordin M Top, who was killed in the raid along with three other suspected terrorists, including Munawaroh's husband. Noordin, a Malaysian who eluded capture for more than seven years, was said to be an Al Qaeda-funded bomb maker wanted in connection with five major bombings in Indonesia since 2002, including the massive blast in Bali that year that left more than 200 dead. He was also accused of ties to last July's twin suicide attacks at the Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels in Jakarta that killed seven and wounded 50. Those strikes ended four-year lull in terrorist attacks. Prosecutors say Munawaroh's husband was an aide to Noordin and rented the safe house police raided. Investigators say that during interrogations Munawaroh, who was wounded in the shootout, said she didn't surrender because she had intended to die as a martyr while protecting Noordin. She was pregnant at the time of her arrest and later gave birth to a son, who lives with her in prison. If convicted of harboring terrorists and concealing information about terrorist activities, she faces 20 years in prison. She has yet to speak publicly about the charges. Her trial is expected to last months. Munawaroh is the fifth alleged conspirator to go on trial since February over the hotel bombings. All the trials are ongoing. Associated Press Related articles Terrorists, Journalists Make Uneasy Bedfellows 8:15 PM 25/03/2010 Al Qaeda, Not JI, Behind Twin Hotel Bombings, Terror Suspect Says 12:23 AM 18/03/2010 More Questions Raised About Alleged Terrorist Ties in Aceh 11:19 PM 01/03/2010 Police File Terrorism Charges Against Aceh Suspects Despite Affiliation Doubts 10:47 PM 28/02/2010 Aceh Seen as a 'Safe Haven' for Terror Group Jemaah Islamiyah 11:24 PM 24/02/2010 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
