August 17, 2005 - 8:20 AM

Indonesia cuts jail terms for Bashir

By Achmad Sukarsono

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia on Wednesday reduced jail terms of several people convicted under anti-terrorism laws, including militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, as part of the regular prisoner remission programme marking Independence Day.

Australia had asked Indonesia not to reduce the jail sentence of Bashir, who is serving 30 months for his role in the 2002 Bali bar bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

Indonesia also cut jail terms of 19 other inmates convicted for the Bali bombings. Most of the remissions are around a few months with Bashir getting a 135-day reduction.

But the five main convicts in the case did not get any reduction in their sentences. Three of them have been sentenced to death and two have been jailed for life.

Bashir's leading lawyer, M. Mahendradatta, told Reuters: "He will come out around June next year. He should have received a seven-month cut but because of external pressure, he could not get the maximum remission."

The remission coincides with Bashir's 67th birthday. He was convicted in March and given a 30-month jail sentence for conspiracy related to the Bali bombings.

But he was acquitted of charges that he led the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah network, ordered the Bali bombings or was involved in a 2003 blast at Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel that killed 12 people.

Indonesia's Supreme Court on August 6 rejected an appeal by Bashir to have his conviction overturned.

Australians have expressed anger over the reduction of terror sentences with some labelling them as insulting to the families of the victims.

REGULAR PRACTICE

Indonesia regularly cuts jail terms of prisoners on August 17, the country's Independence Day.

Such privileges are not given to prisoners who have been sentenced to life or put on death row.

This year, on the 60th anniversary of the Southeast Asian nation's independence, thousands of inmates across the world's forth most populous country, received remissions.

In Aceh, hundreds of jailed rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) also received remissions with almost 300 of them being released. The August 15 truce between Indonesia and GAM boosted the sentence reductions and releases.

The truce also promises amnesty for all GAM members jailed for treason. The amnesty will begin later this month.

Many high-profile Indonesian convicts also received term cuts, including Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the youngest son of former president Suharto. Tommy is serving time for masterminding the murder of a Supreme Court judge in 2001 and already had his 15-year jail term cut to 10 years by the Supreme Court in June.

Mardjaman, director of corrections at the justice ministry told Jakarta-based Radio Elshinta that most prisoners who have behaved properly during incarceration are entitled for remissions on August 17, regardless of their crimes.

Remissions also are given to prisoners on special religious holidays.