BALI, Indonesia – Judges sentenced two Islamic militants to prison Thursday for their roles in the 2005 Bali bombings that killed 20 people, saying they helped make explosives and videotapes of the suicide bombers ahead of the attacks.
Mohammad Cholili and Dwi Widiarto were among four men charged in the attacks on the Indonesian resort island, which targeted three crowded restaurants on the busiest night of the week and wounded nearly 200.
A panel of three judges at the Denpasar District Court sentenced Cholili to 18 years in prison, saying he helped the alleged masterminds of the attack, Noordin Top and Azahari bin Husin, assemble the bombs.
Widiarto was sentenced to eight years, with judges saying he met with Noordin at least three times before the attacks and helped make videotaped statements from the bombers.
He also helped set up a Web site that called on Muslims to wage war against "infidels" and gave step-by-step instructions on how to kill foreigners in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has been hit by a string of terrorist attacks in recent years blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah. More than 240 people have died, many of them foreign tourists.
Noordin, believed to be one of the key leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah, is still at large. Azahari was shot dead by police during a raid on a terrorist safehouse on Java island.
All of the suspects in the Oct. 1, 2005, Bali attacks were accused of helping hide Noordin, transport explosives or make the homicide bombers' videotaped statements. They were convicted under anti-terror laws and could have faced death, though prosecutors sought only 10 years behind bars.
Presiding judge Wayan Wardana said the judges decided on a lighter sentence for Widiarto because he had shown remorse for his role in the attacks and had a family with four children.
Last week, another militant charged in the 2005 bombings attack also received eight years behind bars. Another verdict was expected next week.
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