Islamic militant may be freed as Indonesia marks holiday
JAKARTA, Aug 16, 2006 (AFP)
- An Islamic militant convicted for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings may be freed
from prison this week if granted a sentence cut and 10 others jailed over the blasts
could also receive remissions, officials said Wednesday. Indonesia grants sentence
cuts to most prisoners of up to six months twice a year -- once to mark Independence
Day every August 17, and another to mark major religious holidays, handed out according
to a convict's faith. Three militants imprisoned on Borneo island have been recommended
to receive cuts of three months, meaning that one -- Puryanto -- could walk free,
prison official Suwarno told AFP.
"If Puryanto is granted a three-month sentence cut, he can walk free because his
sentence was only for four years and eight months," Suwarno said, noting that he
had nearly served his sentence. An official at Kerobokan jail on Bali island said
that eight other militants convicted over the 2002 attacks and serving time there
could also have their sentences cut, along with 55,000 other prisoners nationwide.
"The decision... will be made known tomorrow (Thursday) but yes, eight inmates serving
sentences for the Bali bombings are among those proposed for sentence cuts," the
official told AFP. All 11 played relatively minor roles in the attacks such as giving
shelter to the key bombers and attending meetings at which the bombing was discussed.
Last year Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who was serving a 30-month sentence for
his role in the 2002 attacks which killed 202 people, had his sentence cut by more
than four months. The move sparked uproar in Australia, which lost 88 nationals in
the attack. Bashir was seen by foreign nations as the spiritual leader of Jemaah
Islamiyah, the extremist network blamed for the attacks. He has since been released.
Three bombers on death row and four serving life sentences are ineligible for remissions.
Those on death row -- Amrozi, 43, Ali Ghufron alias Muhklas, 46, and Imam Samudra,
36, are set to be executed on August 22 unless they request a case review. Lawyers
were reportedly meeting with the men on Wednesday. Remissions are given to all prisoners
who have shown good conduct, said Akbar, a spokesman for penitentiary affairs at
the justice ministry, except for those on death row and serving life sentences.
"Lawyers representing Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Mukhlas (Ali Gufron) submitted appeals to the Denpasar district court late on 6 Dec. The appeal argues that the Constitutional Court in a 2004 ruling had annulled provisions that had enabled the retroactive use of Indonesia's new anti-terrorism laws. The appeals will be checked by the district court before the judicial review is forwarded to the Supreme Court. Dates for the hearings at the district court will probably be announced next week after Hari Raya Kuningan (last day of the Hindu Galungan celebration). "
Indonesian police will be allowed to interview a militant being held in U.S. custody over his links to the 2002 Bali bombings.
Jakarta has repeatedly asked to question Indonesian-born militant Hambali but Washington has barred direct contact.
Last year U.S. President George W. Bush said Hambali, who was arrested iby US forces in Thailand in 2003, had been transferred to Guantanamo Bay.
A spokesman for Indonesian police says the FBI director has now agreed to allow Indonesian police access to interview Hambali, but they do not yet know where or when.
Indonesian police hope the interview will help them unravel terrorist networks in Indonesia.
Indonesia wants to prosecute Hambali for alleged links to the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people, and the 2003 Jakarta hotel blast.
