[JURIST] An Indonesian court ruled Thursday that the trial of the head of Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah [CFR backgrounder; JURIST news archive] can proceed. A defense lawyer for Abu Dujana [BBC profile] moved to dismiss the trial, arguing that the South Jakarta court had no jurisdiction over his client as the crimes he is charged with were not alleged to have been committed in Jakarta, but the trial court judge ruled that the court had been sanctioned by the Indonesian Supreme Court to hear the case and that the trial would go ahead as planned.

Dujana, who was was arrested [JURIST report] in June, has confessed to leading the Jemaah Islamiyah's military wing, which has claimed responsibility for the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta and a series of 2005 Bali bombings [BBC reports]. He has been charged with possessing explosives as well as assisting and harboring two men wanted in connection with the 2002 Bali night club bombings [GlobalSecurity backgrounder]. Dujana faces the death penalty if found guilty. Reuters has more.