ABC AUSTRALIA, 28/04/2004 21:23:09
Indonesian police question jailed Muslim cleric
Indonesian detectives have questioned imprisoned Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir as
a terrorism suspect.
Our Indonesia correspondent, Tim Palmer, reports the move is expected to see Bashir
kept in prison beyond his scheduled release date of Friday.
The interrogation began on Wednesday morning at Salemba prison in the capital,
Jakarta, where Bashir, 65, is serving a sentence for immigration offences.
Hundreds of supporters of the radical preacher gathered outside the prison to protest
against the possibility of his further detention.
Bashir's supporters chanted and carried banners, some urging the killing of Jews and
another saying that the leaders of the United States, Australia and Israel were the real
terrorists.
A spokesman for the cleric says he refused to answer any questions relating to his
possible involvement in the Jemmah Islamiah (JI) terror group, or the Octover 2002
Bali bombings.
However, a director of the police anti-terrorism branch, Brigadier General Pranowo,
has told reporters that Bashir was cooperative.
General Pranowo would not say if Bashir will be named a suspect in the Bali nightclub
bombings, which killed 202 people.
Our correspondent says it seems police will move to keep Bashir in custody using
Indonesia's anti-terror laws, which allow six month arbitary detention periods.
The United States and other foreign governments say Bashir led JI, which is blamed
for the Bali bombings and other attacks in the region.
An appeal court quashed his original conviction for involvement with a JI plot, but
police now say they have new evidence.
28/04/2004 21:23:09 | ABC Radio Australia News
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