An Indonesian man was sentenced to 30 months in jail by a Malaysian court for possessing photographs from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization.
Eq Maulana Dunda, a 25-year-old duck breeder was arrested on July 12 when a police squad raided his house in Kuala Terengganu. There they found his cell phone containing photos from the IS group, Malay Mail reported.
Dunda, who did not have legal representation in court, spoke in his own defence. He denied any knowledge about the possession of such images being illegal, and said that he got the images from Google a long time ago while he was still living in Indonesia.
He also pleaded for a lighter sentence, pointing out that his wife was pregnant. Prosecutor Munirah Shamsudin Baharam demanded a substantial sentence for the accused to serve as a lesson to the public.
According to forensic reports the photos depicted symbols which implied Dunda’s intent to undertake extremist actions and threaten national security.
Dunda had arrived in Malaysia just a few months ago after marrying a local woman.
In the Malaysian legal system under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the Penal Code (Act 574), offenders found possessing terrorist-related materials can be jailed for up to seven years or be fined, and related belongings can be confiscated.