RI to review prison remission: Howard

RI to review prison remission: Howard

Reuters, Canberra/Jakarta

Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Thursday called a sentence reduction for Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Ba'aysir offensive and said Jakarta was reviewing an annual prisoner remission scheme.

Ba'aysir was jailed for 30 months over his role in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 88 Australians. The cleric had his sentence cut by 135 days on Wednesday, Indonesia's Independence Day, sparking anger from Australia and families of bombing victims.

"All Australians are outraged that this sentence has been reduced. I find it offensive and I think millions of Australians will find it offensive," Howard told parliament.

The cleric was among more than 50,000 Indonesian prisoners who had their terms trimmed on Wednesday as part of a regular prisoner remission program granted during Independence Day and on special religious holidays.

Howard said Australia had asked Indonesia not to cut Ba'aysir's sentence, but said the remissions were automatic under a 1999 presidential decree.

"I also understand that as a result of this issue, the status of that presidential decree is now being reviewed," said Howard, adding any change would not overturn Ba'aysir's reduced sentence.

Indonesian Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin said he had not received any letter conveying Australia's concern.

"Many foreigners think giving sentence reductions is inappropriate. But prisoners (in Indonesia) have that right under (the) 1999 decree ... and as long as the rules are like that, the government must be consistent," he told reporters.

"But I don't see this as intervention. They are not telling us to do this and that. They are only making comments," he said when asked whether Canberra was meddling in Jakarta's affairs.

The Indonesian foreign ministry said Jakarta has been mindful of Australia's concern.

"But we have also been equally careful to ensure the independence of the judicial process and the matter of remission is respected," said ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa.

"The remission to Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is not a reflection on the individual per se rather than the application of the remission program, which is applied in general," he said.

Indonesia also cut the terms of 19 others convicted over the Bali bombings, which killed 202 people in all.