Police place Ba'asyir under detention<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Police placed Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a suspect for his
\nalleged role in a string of bomb attacks across the country,
\nunder their custody on Sunday following his arrest overnight
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Surakarta police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Hermanu said
\nmore officers were deployed to guard Ba'asyir at the Muhammadiyah
\nHospital where he is being treated for heart and respiratory
\nailments.<\/p>\n
Bambang, who visited Ba'asyir on Sunday, told Antara the team
\nof police doctors believed the suspect's condition was improving
\nbut he remained unfit for questioning.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir could have been arrested earlier when terrorist
\nsuspect Omar al-Faruq, who is in the custody of United States
\nauthorities, alleged on Friday that Ba'asyir was involved in the
\nbombings.<\/p>\n
But the police wasted time issuing a summons to question
\nBa'asyir, the chairman of Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI).<\/p>\n
The police had intended to take Ba'asyir from the hospital to
\nJakarta for questioning and to ensure the suspect was kept in
\npolice custody once he recovered.<\/p>\n
But one of Ba'asyir's lawyers, Mohamad Assegaf, told The
\nJakarta Post on Sunday that the questioning would be better held
\nin Surakarta, because "my client will feel at peace here near to
\nhis family, relatives and pupils".<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir, 64, who many allege has links to the hardline Jemaah
\nIslamiyah, was rushed to hospital on Friday after a one-hour
\nmedia meeting at his al-Mukmin Ngruki Islamic boarding school.
\nDuring the meeting he denied all accusations made against him,
\nincluding involvement in the terrorist blasts in Bali.<\/p>\n
Earlier Friday, he was named a suspect following the
\nconfession from al-Faruq over Ba'asyir's role in various bomb
\nattacks, including the blast at the Istiqlal Mosque in April 1999
\nand a plot to assassinate President Megawati Soekarnoputri before
\nshe assumed power.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir was questioned earlier this year for clarification of
\nhis activities while he was in self exile in Malaysia in the
\nearly 1990s.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir and the late Abdullah Sungkar are alleged to have
\nestablished Jemaah Islamiyah, an organization the United States
\nhas proposed for inclusion in the list of banned terrorist
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Police said Ba'asyir was named a suspect without questioning
\nhim because they had been collecting information on him for a
\nlong time, including from al-Faruq, who is said to be a top al-
\nQaeda representative in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
The police charged Ba'asyir under articles in the Criminal
\nCode and Emergency Law No. 12\/1951 on the illegal possession of
\nfirearms and explosives. The charges carry a maximum penalty of
\ndeath.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir, who fled to Malaysia in 1983 to escape charges under
\nformer ruler Soeharto's regime for rejecting Pancasila state
\nideology, is also accused of having violated Law No. 9\/1999 on
\nimmigration for entering and leaving the country without official
\ndocuments.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-place-baasyir-under-detention-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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