ABC AUSTRALIA, 03/12/2003 23:04:55
Moderate Muslim leader backs Bashir ruling
One of Indonesia's leading moderate Muslims has welcomed the decision by a
Jakarta court to clear extremist cleric Abu Bakar Bashir of treason.
The court has upheld other charges and reduced Bashir's sentence from four to three
years.
Lawyers for the Muslim cleric are now taking their case to the Supreme Court,
demanding that all the charges against Bashir be dropped.
Bashir, 65, was convicted in September of a plot to overthrow the Indonesian
government, but was cleared of allegations that he was the leader of the Jemaah
Islamiah terror network.
However, Syafi'i Ma'arif, the chairman of Muhammadiyah - one of Indonesia's largest
moderate Muslim groups - says there is little evidence against Bashir.
"I have to follow his fair trial, if there is no hard evidence to put him in prison I think we
have to accept this decision," he said.
03/12/2003 23:04:55 | ABC Radio Australia News
© 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
