Capture and Trial
Patek was captured by Pakistani security officials in Abbotabad on 25 January 2011. Indonesian officials reported that Patek had confessed to playing a key role in the 2002 Bali bombings as well as a series of bombings on Christmas Eve in 2000. Ansyaad Mbai, the head of Indonesia's anti-terrorism agency, also told the Associated Press that Patek had "helped lead authorities to bin Laden." In May 2011, Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that Patek was in Abottabad with his wife with the purpose of meeting bin Laden, but an unnamed U.S. counterterrorism official dismissed this claim as a "coincidence" and told ABC News that the U.S. had no evidence that Patek was attempting to meet with the al-Qaeda leader Dawn.com earlier reported that Patek intended to travel to North Waziristan with two French militants.
There had been earlier false reports that he had been killed on September 14, 2006 in the Sulu province of the Philippines.
On 11 August 2011, Umar Patek was extradited to Indonesia where he was detained in Jakarta before pending trial.
On 21 June 2012 an Indonesian court sentenced Patek to 20 years in jail for murder and bomb-making. He was found guilty of all six charges, which included involvement in attacks against churches on Christmas Eve 2000. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. During the trial Patek apologized to families of victims and maintained that he did nothing more than mix chemicals for the explosives.
Read more about this topic: Umar Patek
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