Govt to let terror suspect Ba'asyir go<\/p>\n
P.C. Naommy and
\nMuninggar Sri Saraswati
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights will release terror
\nsuspect Abu Bakar Ba'asyir when he completes his jail term on
\nApril 30 and deliver him to his family, the minister has said.<\/p>\n
\"We acknowledge that Ba'asyir is an Indonesian citizen and
\ntherefore, we will protect his rights as a citizen,\" justice
\nminister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said after a ceremony on Tuesday to
\ncelebrate the 40th anniversary of the ministry's penitentiary
\ndirectorate general.<\/p>\n
Yusril, also leader of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) -- which
\nhas a political platform based on sharia, or Islamic law -- said
\nthe government's recognition of Ba'asyir's Indonesian citizenship
\nwould benefit the cleric.<\/p>\n
\"If he was stateless, he must be deported. But as he is our
\ncitizen, there is no way for other parties, including the United
\nStates, to ask for his extradition. We are obliged to protect our
\ncitizens and not hand them over to other countries,\" Yusril said.<\/p>\n
The statement came as the police set an April 28 date for
\ninterrogating Ba'asyir over his alleged role in terrorist
\nactivities across the country. The interrogation was originally
\nscheduled for Monday, but Ba'asyir refused to turn up due to a
\nclerical error in which the police summons was addressed to the
\nwarden of Salemba Penitentiary, Central Jakarta, where he is
\nserving his sentence -- and not Ba'asyir personally.<\/p>\n
The justice ministry had doubted Ba'asyir's claim to
\nIndonesian citizenship after his arrest in October 2002, shortly
\nafter the Bali bombings that killed at least 202 people.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir was indicted for treason, terrorism and immigration
\nviolations, but a lower court found him guilty of only
\nimmigration offenses and document forgery, and sentenced him to
\n18 months.<\/p>\n
Police named Ba'asyir a suspect in terrorist activities last
\nmonth, but had never specifically linked him to the Bali blasts,
\neven though the cleric is thought to be the spiritual leader of
\nregional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), on which blame
\nwas placed.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. Pranowo, Director VI of the antiterrorism and bomb
\ndepartment at National Police headquarters, said on Tuesday the
\nMuslim cleric would be questioned on Wednesday from 9 a.m. at
\nSalemba.<\/p>\n
The police moved the site of the interrogation from police
\nheadquarters upon the request of the Indonesian Ulemas Council
\n(MUI).<\/p>\n
Several Islamic organizations have gone to police headquarters
\nto demand that Ba'asyir be released and have rejected all plans
\nto retain him under police custody after he completes his jail
\nterm.<\/p>\n
The Antiterrorism Law allows police to detain a terror suspect
\nup to six months.<\/p>\n
\"The plan to keep Ba'asyir in detention is unfair, especially
\nas it came just as his jail term was ending. Ba'asyir has said he
\nwill cooperate during the interrogation if police do not put him
\nin detention,\" MUI secretary-general Din Syamsudin, who met with
\npolice on behalf of the Muslim organizations, told National
\nPolice chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Soedjono
\nand National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Basyir Barmawi.<\/p>\n
Suyitno and Barmawi said they would convey the organizations'
\ncomplaints to National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, who is
\ncurrently in Mecca on a minor haj.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-let-terror-suspect-baasyir-go-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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