Indonesian militant leader charged

The leader of an Islamic militant group in Indonesia has been charged with inciting hatred and violence against Christians.

Jafar Umar Thalib is leader of the Laskar Jihad armed group, which has been blamed for violence in several Indonesian provinces in recent years.

The charges he faces relate to an address he allegedly gave in April in the Moluccan Islands, when he is accused of telling his followers to ignore a peace agreement between local Muslims and Christians.

Two days after he spoke, unidentified attackers killed 13 people in a Christian village.

Mr Jafar denies the charges, and his lawyers say the trial is politically motivated.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service