Seven Bali bomb prisoners moved to Balikpapan

Wahyoe Boediwardhana/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.