Bali bombing ringleader may have sentence cut as part of “independence celebration”

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | August 15, 2005 - 12:47PM

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Australia will raise with Indonesia its concerns over a possible reduction in the sentence of one of the Bali bombing ringleaders as part of independence celebrations.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia did not want to see the 30-month sentence of Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir further reduced.

Bashir is in jail for his role in instigating the October 2002 bombings in which 202 people died, including 88 Australians.

"We wouldn't want to see his already rather short sentence reduced and our ambassador is taking this matter up with the Indonesians," Mr Downer told reporters.

"We will get a report back from him in time."

An appeal to overturn Bashir's jail term was recently rejected, but he is expected to have his sentence reduced as part of celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Indonesian independence.

Indonesian media report that some 53,000 prisoners across the island will have their sentences cut by up to seven months, including 19 of the 24 Bali bombers.

Mr Downer said the ambassador was meeting the Indonesian attorney-general and justice minister to discuss Australia's concerns.

Labor called on Prime Minister John Howard to raise the issue with the Indonesian government as a matter of great national importance, questioning why Bashir got such a light term when Australian Schapelle Corby got 20 years for drug smuggling.

"Most Australians would ask why is it that Schapelle Corby gets sentenced to 20 years for importing marijuana, Abu Bakar Bashir gets 30 months for participating in the murder of nearly 100 Australians," Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said.

"My call on the prime minister, Mr Howard, is to raise this as a matter of great national importance with his Indonesian counterpart, President (Susilo Bambang) Yudhoyono.

"I think the Australian people would want to see this sentence of at least 30 months fully carried out and for there not to be any further reductions in it."

Mr Downer accused Mr Rudd of being an opportunist.

"The fact is 33 people have been convicted and sentenced for the Bali bombings," he said.

"Of those 33, three have been sentenced to death and four have been sentenced to life imprisonment. They're the people who are most directly involved with the Bali bombing.

"We have an assurance that none of those who have been sentenced to death or who have life imprisonment sentences, none of those people will have remissions applied to them."

AAP

[white trash redneck]

Sounds like a good argument for capital punishment.

[deadeyedawg]

Extradite him back home. Toss him out of the airplane with a parachute that does work.

oops, our bust.

[cardinal4]

News flash-the Indonesians are not willing participants in the WOT..

[Eric in the Ozarks]

30 months ? Those Indonesians really tell a good joke now and then.