Couriermail, October 24, 2006 05:25pm
Bali releases a 'slap in the face'
By Karen Michelmore in Jakarta
Article from: AAP
VICTIMS of the Bali bombings say today's release of two Islamic militants jailed over
the 2002 Bali bombings is a slap in the face.
Two militants convicted over hiding masterminds of the 2002 Bali blasts were today
granted release from their respective prisons after receiving a cut to their sentence to
mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Nine others convicted over minor roles each had 45 days cut from their sentences.
Indonesian prisoners can receive sentence reductions of up to six months at least
twice a year – to mark Indonesian Independence Day and another to mark major
religious holidays, which can half their jail terms.
Bali blast survivor Peter Hughes said the latest round of sentence cuts would be a
slap in the face to families of the 202 victims, including 88 Australians, who died when
Islamic militants detonated two bombs on the Indonesian resort island of Bali in 2002.
The 46-year-old said he did not understand why anyone would want to "reward
terrorists".
"I think the Indonesian Government, by doing this, they don't understand that it
becomes a slap in the face for us, and it's actually a reward for their (terrorists')
cause, which is pathetic," Mr Hughes said.
The Indonesian Government is reportedly considering changes to laws governing
sentence remissions which would force terrorists and drug offenders, among others,
to serve at least two-thirds of their sentences.
The changes were reportedly drawn up following earlier outrage over sentence cuts for
militant Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir and terrorists convicted over the Bali blasts.
The Australian Government has previously objected strongly to sentence cuts for
terrorists and Bashir.
Bashir was released from an Indonesian prison earlier this year after serving two years
and six months for approving the first Bali bombing.
The two Islamic militants granted release today – Sirojul Munir and Muhammad Rudi
bin Salim – were both jailed for five years in 2003 for helping key mastermind Al Imron
to avoid capture.
Munir was released from his East Kalimantan prison following prayer today, after a
one-month reduction, officials said.
He had received remissions totalling two years and one month in his five-year term.
Rudi bin Salim was also set to be released early from his five-year term at Bali's
Kerobokan jail today.
Three Bali bombers – Imam Samudra, 36, Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, 43, and Ali
Ghufron, alias Mukhlas, 46 – remain on death row over their involvement in the blasts,
and three others are serving life sentences.
None of the six are eligible for sentence remissions.
The execution of the three – originally set down for July – has been delayed while
their lawyers prepare a last-ditch appeal, a judicial review, in the Indonesian Supreme
Court.
A lawyer for Bali Nine prisoner Scott Rush today said his client was now being held in
the same cell as Amrozi was once detained.
Colin McDonald is also preparing appeals against the death penalty for his client, and
visited Rush in prison earlier today.
"All six are now in the death tower and, so far as I understand, Scott Rush is now in
the cell that Amrozi was in," he said to ABC radio.
© Queensland Newspapers. All times AEST (GMT + 10).
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