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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesian Islamist parties want Bashir sprung |
| 2004-05-08 |
| In a move seen as attempting to influence the legal process, a number of legislators of Muslim-based parties submitted on Friday a letter asking the police to temporarily release terrorist suspect Abu Bakar Ba'asyir from detention. National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that the police headquarters "was considering all the consequences" of honoring such a request, while a criminal law expert said the request should be ignored. The legislators "guaranteed" that the cleric would not flee. Earlier, party leaders, including Hidayat Nurwahid of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), had also asked for Ba'asyir's temporary release. The legislators who wrote to Da'i were Muthamiul Ula and Mashadi of the PKS, Achmad Sumargono and Hamdan Zoelfa of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), Jusuf Muhammad of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Patrialis Akbar of the National Mandate Party (PAN). However, a professor of criminal law, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, said that the move could be seen as intervention in the legal process because the police would feel pressured to address the problem. "According to the law, only family members, lawyers or the detainees are allowed to request a temporary release from detention," Harkristuti said. Jafar Assegaf, the head of Ba'asyir's team of lawyers, said as much public support was needed before the lawyers could submit a request for temporary release. "House members are respectable citizens who have the power to influence the police," said Jafar. When asked after Friday prayers whether he would request to be released, Ba'asyir said that it was the "Muslim community in general," not himself, who was making the request. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |