ABC AUSTRALIA, 09/06/2004 22:48:05
Indonesian police defend detention of terror suspect Abu Bakar
Bashir
Indonesian police have defended the detention of terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir,
saying they had enough evidence and witnesses to build a case against the Islamic
cleric.
Bashir's lawyers have brought a lawsuit against national police chief General Da'i
Bachtiar, demanding the cleric's release.
They argue that police did not follow proper procedures in arresting Bashir and were
acting under pressure from the United States.
Police say they have new evidence that Bashir, 65, led the Al Qaeda linked Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI) terror network, after a court earlier cleared him of the charge.
They rearrested him on April 30 as he stepped out of prison after completing a
sentence for immigration violations.
Lawyers for Bashir said he never saw the identification of the policeman who arrested
him and he and his family were not given copies of the arrest warrant as the laws
require.
Bashir, who was not present in court, has denied involvement in terrorism and has
said the allegations are a US-inspired smear campaign against Islam.
Indonesian authorities say Bashir, by virtue of his alleged leadership of JI, would be
charged with involvement in terrorist attacks by JI between 1999 and 2002.
This includes the Bali nightclub bombings which killed 202 people in October 2002.
Police are holding Bashir under an anti-terror law which allows detention without trial
for six months
09/06/2004 22:48:05 | ABC Radio Australia News
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