Islamic Cleric's Trial Adjourned In Indonesia

Muslim Cleric Abu Bakar Bashir

The trial in Indonesia of a controversial Islamic cleric opened and then quickly adjourned.

The cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, faces allegations of planning a series of deadly terrorist attacks. The charges carry the death penalty.

The 72-year-old Bashir is the spiritual leader of the outlawed southeast Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiah.

The trial opened amid heavy security in Jakarta but adjourned until February 14 on a technicality.

Indonesia has won praise for its efforts to combat Islamic terrorism, but a recent spike in religious intolerance shows that extremism still has a hold on the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Reuters