Abu Bakar Ba’asyir: released radical cleric linked to Bali attacks

A radical Muslim cleric linked to the 2002 Bali bombings has been released amid concerns about his continuing influence over extremists.

Abu Bakar Ba’asyir was picked up by his family from a jail on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta early Friday morning.

The 82-year-old is the former boss of Jemaah Islamiah, an al Qaeda-inspired group behind the attack that killed 202 people.

Authorities say it will enter a de-radicalization program.

People from 21 nations were killed in explosions on October 12, 2002 on the popular holiday island of Bali. The two bombs had passed through Paddy’s Irish Bar and the nearby Sari Club in the tourist district of Kuta.

It remains to this day the deadliest terrorist attack in Indonesia.

The release has provoked mixed reactions in Indonesia and Australia, where the majority of the victims were from. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was “distressing” for the families of the victims and that “sometimes it is not a fair world.”

The fire preacher was released after completing a jail term for a conviction unrelated to the bombings.

He had been sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2011 for supporting the training of militants in the conservative Aceh province, but the term was later shortened due to sentence reductions. Officials reportedly said that he had “carried out his punishment well”.

Previously, Ba’asyir had been imprisoned in 2005 for conspiracy in the Bali bombings, but this conviction was overturned on appeal.

He has always denied any involvement in terrorism.

Ba’asyir was the commander of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), the militant Islamist group, at the time of the Bali attacks.

Some described the cleric as the “mastermind” behind the blasts, but his exact role remains unclear.

Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Conflict Policy Analysis in Jakarta, said operational decisions were made by someone else at JI, but Ba’asyir would have given a “de facto green light.”

“He didn’t plan it. But he’s the person who could have stopped him if he’d said no.”

Ba’asyir later split from JI and founded another extremist group, Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid.

Before the release of the cleric, Garil Arnandha, whose father was among the victims of the attack, told the BBC: “I do not agree with the release of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir because, in my opinion, it is still very dangerous and has the potential to revive terrorism in Indonesia. “

Endang, his mother, had a different opinion.

“As a victim of a bomb, I have forgiven him,” he told the BBC.

“He has served time in jail for his crimes and I really hope he gets back on the right track. I am concerned, but I am trying to have a positive thought because the trauma of losing my husband in the attack has been horrible.”

In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Ba’asyir’s release was “very distressing” for the families of those killed, but added that it was “a matter for the Indonesian judicial system.”

“That doesn’t make it easier for any Australian to accept that, ultimately. That those who are responsible for the murder of Australians would now be free,” he said.

Eighty-eight Australians were among those who died in Bali.

Albert Talarico, a spokesman for the Coogee Dolphins rugby league club in Sydney that lost six members in the nightclub bombings, said it was “very frustrating for families” who had to “relive the same painful memories” .

“I don’t think he should be released, but those are his rules,” Talarico added, speaking to the BBC earlier this week. “It doesn’t seem to be fair to families.”

The club honors the six members who lost their lives every day, through the Coogee Dolphins emblem that was changed to reflect their position numbers, and during games when these numbers are proudly displayed on team jerseys.

“We wear their numbers on our chests in every game. They were young men in the prime of their lives. We made sure their stories are not forgotten,” Talarico said.

Dr. Jones told the BBC that she did not believe that Ba’asyir’s release would have a major impact on the risk of violence in Indonesia.

“I think he will be treated as an elderly statesman by conservative Muslim groups who would like to see more Islamic law in Indonesia. But I don’t think he is likely to inspire a new round of violent extremism,” he said.

That is partly due to their waning influence, but also due to the change in the way extremists operate today, he added.

“We are seeing less influence from individual clergy and more inspiration and instruction drawn from the Internet,” explained Dr. Jones. “We are also seeing the proliferation of very small autonomous cells, not large hierarchical organizations looking at a single leader.”

After the Bali attacks, Indonesia, backed by Australia and the United States, established an elite counterterrorism unit that weakened JI.

In 2008, three men were executed for their role in the attacks and several others have been imprisoned or killed by the security forces.

Ba’asyir is reported to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014 while in jail.

The head of Indonesia’s counterterrorism agency, Eddy Hartono, has said that the octogenarian will undergo a de-radicalization program.

“We hope that Abu Bakar Bashir, once free, will be able to give peaceful and reassuring sermons,” he said in a statement, according to the Reuters news agency.

Additional information from BBC News Indonesia.