Court turns down Ba'asyir's lawsuit

JAKARTA: The South Jakarta District Court rejected on Monday a motion submitted by Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir against the police who rearrested him in April, shortly after he was released from his 18-month imprisonment for immigration offenses.

Presiding judge Harry Sasongko said police did not violate any regulation when they arrested and detained the cleric on April 30, so that "such legal actions are lawful."

Ba'syir, who heads the Surakarta-based Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI), was rearrested for his alleged role in a series of terrorist attacks across the country.

The cleric, however, has insisted that his arrest was due to strong international pressure, particularly from the United States.

He was brought to police headquarters under tight security, as hundreds of his supporters tried to prevent his rearrest. -- Antara.