Radical Indonesian cleric faces life in jail

Abu Bakar Bashir, center, faces charges ranging from his alleged links to militant training camps to inciting a terrorist act.Authorities accuse Abu Bakar Bashir of a series of terror-related chargesHis lawyers say prosecutors haven't proven their caseBashir denies the chargesIt's the third terror-related trial of the fiery cleric

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Prosecutors in Indonesia demanded a life sentence Monday for radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir for a series of terror-related charges, including planning, attempting, funding and inciting terrorism. Some of the charges carry a maximum penalty of death.

It's the third trial of the fiery Bashir, who was most recently detained in August for suspected links to a militant training camp that was raided by authorities in Aceh in early 2010.

Police have said Bashir and his organization, the Jamaat Tawhid Anshoru or JAT, were involved in setting up the camp, and authorities have said militants were preparing to launch assassination attempts on Indonesian government officials.

Authorities also accuse Bashir of plotting attacks like the 2008 Mumbai, India, assault on hotels and a train station that left hundreds dead in a siege lasting several days.

He denies the charges, and has often said there is a U.S.-led conspiracy to put him behind bars.

One of Bashir's lawyers, Adnan Wirawan, said Monday the call for life in prison is "too harsh for something that the prosecution failed to prove in court. They're aiming too high and I think it's unreasonable and I think the court will be of the same opinion."

In the past, authorities have tried but failed to directly link Bashir to major terror attacks in Indonesia.

In the first two trials, prosecutors tried to directly link him to the 2002 bombings in Bali and the 2003 J.W. Marriott bomb attack in Jakarta. The courts found him guilty of relatively minor charges. He was released in June 2006, after serving 25 months in jail.

Known for his inflammatory rhetoric, Bashir was accused of being the spiritual leader of Indonesia's homegrown terror network, Jemaah Islamiyah, who inspired many of those involved in the bombings.

Bashir's lawyers will begin their closing statement May 25. A ruling is expected within weeks of the conclusion of arguments.

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Indonesian plane crashes into ocean

NEW: 15 bodies, including those of children, are recovered, official saysNEW: Authorities: Search continues for survivors of the plane crash 21 passengers, six crew members were aboard the flight, official saysThe cause of the accident is under investigation, the transportation ministry says

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Fifteen bodies were recovered Saturday from the wreckage of an airplane that crashed into the ocean while preparing to land in the Indonesian province of West Papua, officials said.

Rescuers were searching for survivors of the Merpati Nusantara Airlines crash just off the coast of Kaimana, said Bambang Ervan, a spokesman for the Indonesian transportation ministry.

There were 21 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane, a turbo-propeller MA60, he said.

Ervan could not immediately confirm any casualties, though a Kaimana Airport ticket agent told CNN that at least 15 bodies have been recovered.

The agent, identified as Polly H., said there were children among the casualties, though she could not say how many.

Among the passengers on the flight were 18 adults, two children and one infant, Ervan said.

Search and rescue teams were still searching the waters off Kaimana for survivors, the ticket agent said.

The plane crashed shortly before 2 p.m. local time. The cause of the crash was under investigation, Ervan said.

Merpati, a cash-strapped state-owned airline with an aging fleet, flies many of the more remote routes in Indonesia.

In 2010, a Merpati airplane overshot the runway at the Rendai airport in Manokwari, West Papua, injuring 78 people.

A year earlier, two Merpati planes crashed within two months of each other in Papua.

The first occurred in July 2009 when a Merpati flight lost its front wheels as it took of from Biak. A month later, another flight -- a Twin Otter aircraft -- crashed, killing 16 people on board.

Indonesia has made efforts in recent years to improve its safety record.

CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report.

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