Bali bombing convicts moved

Bali bombing convicts moved

Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Mikael Onny Setiawan, Denpasar/Balikpapan

Seven men convicted for their roles in the October 2002 Bali
bombings were transferred on Monday from a Denpasar prison to the
Balikpapan penitentiary in East Kalimantan in order to be closer
to their families.

"The transfers were authorized following requests from the
prisoners' families. It is purely a humanitarian move," the
warden of Kerobokan penitentiary in Bali, Tulus Wijayanto, told
reporters.

Three East Kalimantan Police Mobile Brigade units were
deployed to provide security as local prosecutors took delivery
of the prisoners.

The inmates were taken directly under tight security to the
Balikpapan penitentiary following their arrival at Sepinggan
International Airport in the afternoon.

Tulus denied suggestions that the decision to move the
prisoners was related to the Constitutional Court's decision to
declare Law No. 16/2003 unconstitutional. This law allows Law No.
15/2003 on terrorism to be applied retroactively.

Many fear that the court's verdict could result in the release
of some the defendants charged under Law No. 16/2003. The
bombings killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists,
and injured over 300 others.

The seven prisoners who have been moved to Balikpapan are Iman
Susanto, M. Yunus, Muhajir, Puryanto, Sukastopo, Eko Hadi
Prasetyo and Sirojul Munir. They were arrested in East Kalimantan
and are serving prison terms of between three and seven years.

The men were among 14 arrested in the province for harboring
two of the masterminds of the Bali bombings -- Ali Imron and
Utomo Pamungkas alias Mubarok.

Ali and Mubarok, both jailed for life for their involvement in
the outrages, were arrested in 2003 in a hut on an isolated
island in East Kalimantan.