Muslims demand release of convicted terrorist

Muslims demand release of convicted terrorist

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

About 100 students from a number of Islamic boarding schools in
Makassar staged a peaceful demonstration outside the provincial
legislative council building on Friday to appeal for the release
of convicted terrorist Agus Dwikarna.

A further 50 Muslims remain in the legislature's compound for
the same purpose.

The demonstrators, wearing long robes and green turbans,
evaded security guards to enter the main building and circulate
leaflets explaining their demands.

Brandishing pro-Agus banners, the demonstrators demanded both
the provincial administration and the central government lobby
Philippine authorities to release Agus.

The banners read bebaskan Ustadz Agus Dwikarna (Set free
cleric Agus Dwikarna, Gubernur harus melindungi warganya (the
governor must protect his citizens) and Agus bukan terroris. Agus
tidak bersalah (Agus is not a terrorist and he is not guilty).

Agus was sentenced in the Philippines to 17 years in jail for
the illegal possession of explosives.

Despite a number of pro-Agus demonstrations, the government
has insisted that it will not interfere in the Philippine's
internal affairs.

Iswari Al Farisi, a lawyer representing Agus, acknowledged
that the students's action was engineered intentionally to win
sympathy from the local and central governments to press Agus'
case.

"The students were asked to go on strike to put political
pressure on the government to fight for Agus. We asked the
students to stage the pro-Agus demonstration since we have no
more energy to scream," he said.

Iswari, who was among those camping in the legislature's
compound, said they would continue fighting till the government
changed its stance.