Hotel bomb convict to get remission<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Sardona Siliwangi, a 24-year-old man convicted of storing
\nexplosives used to bomb Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel in 2003, was
\nreported to be among the thousands of prisoners across the
\ncountry to get jail cuts in observance of Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
Bengkulu justice and human rights office head Arman Nazar said
\non Sunday that Sardona would be given one month's remission.<\/p>\n
The sentence reduction was being given to the terrorist
\nconvict due to his \"good conduct and contribution to the prison\"
\nwhile serving his jail term in Bengkulu penitentiary, Arman said.<\/p>\n
Sardona was sentenced by the Bengkulu District Court to 20
\nyears in prison last year for his roles in the hotel blast and in
\nhiding key terrorist suspects Azahari bin Husin and Noordin M.
\nTop, who are both still at large. It will be his first remission.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the local authorities had proposed that Sardona be
\nexempted from receiving Idul Fitri remission. But Arman said the
\nproposal was dropped after the House of Representatives issued a
\nletter recommending remissions for all prisoners, including
\nterrorism convicts.<\/p>\n
\"This is a human rights matter. Receiving remission is the
\nright of every prisoner serving more than a six months' jail term
\nas long as he\/she behaves well in prison,\" he was quoted by
\nAntara as saying.<\/p>\n
Last week, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid
\nAwaluddin said senior terror convict Abu Bakar Ba'asyir would
\nlikely be among those also entitled to Idul Fitri remission,
\ndespite protests from Australia.<\/p>\n
Australia has several times appealed to Indonesia not to
\nfurther cut the 30-month sentence of Ba'asyir, who was convicted
\nof playing a role in the first Bali bombings that killed 202
\npeople, including 98 Australians.<\/p>\n
A similar protest was also lodged by the neighboring country
\nagainst Ba'asyir's remission in observance of Indonesia's 60th
\nanniversary of independence in August 2005.<\/p>\n
Arman further said that to mark the upcoming Idul Fitri
\nholiday, which falls on Thursday this year, as many as 550 out of
\n578 prisoners in Bengkulu would have their sentences reduced by
\nbetween 15 days and 60 days.<\/p>\n
With the remissions, he said, at least 18 recipients would
\nautomatically be able to walk free from Bengkulu prison.<\/p>\n
He said the 167 prisoners who did not receive remissions were
\nthose generally involved in clashes and other disturbances in
\nprison.<\/p>\n
Arman said the granting of remission was aimed at educating
\nprisoners so as to abide by prison regulations and to improve
\ntheir skills while serving their jail terms.<\/p>\n
Prisoners, he said, are required to take part in training in
\nthe hope that they would no longer resort to crime after being
\nreleased.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hotel-bomb-convict-to-get-remission-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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