Police release Laskar Jihad commander from custody

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police released Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jammaah commander Ja'far Umar Thalib from custody on Tuesday, though the suspect remains under investigation.

Ja'far's lawyer Eggy Sudjana said the police officially released Ja'far via an official letter issued by National Police chief of general crimes Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi, dated June 12.

"The police released him because he has been very cooperative during question, and the police believe that he will not flee," Eggy said on Wednesday.

Ja'far was arrested on May 4 at Juanda Airport in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya, on suspicion of inciting religious violence and ordering the murder of one of his followers, Abdullah, who was stoned to death in Maluku earlier this year for adultery.

Ja'far was released from police detention on May 15 and placed under house arrest.

Aryanto confirmed on Wednesday evening he had issued a letter ordering the release of Ja'far from police custody.

The officer said he issued the letter because the investigation of the case was expected to take time.

"The murder suspect was under house arrest. I know that the investigation will take a long time and after a while we would have had to extend Ja'far's house arrest, which would have created a lot of attention. I cannot be bothered with demonstrations or certain parties trying to stop me from investigating the case," Aryanto said.

The South Jakarta District Court earlier ruled that the arrest of Ja'far was unlawful, but said this did not affect the suspect's detention. (ylt)