Indonesia releases Bali bomb maker on parole after he served half his sentence
- Umar Patek was a leading member of the al-Qaeda-linked network Jemaah Islamiah, blamed for the bombings at two nightclubs in Kuta Beach in 2002
- Authorities say he has successfully reformed while in prison and they will use him to influence other militants to turn away from terrorism
A bomb maker in the 2002 Bali attacks that killed 202 people was released from an Indonesian prison on parole on Wednesday after serving half his 20-year sentence, despite the opposition of Australia’s prime minister, who described him as “abhorrent”.
Umar Patek was a leading member of the al-Qaeda-linked network Jemaah Islamiah, which is blamed for the bombings at two nightclubs in Kuta Beach. Indonesian authorities have said Patek was successfully reformed in prison and they will use him to influence other militants to turn away from terrorism.
Patek 55, whose real name is Hisyam bin Alizein, received a total of 33 months of sentence reductions, which are often given to prisoners on major holidays, said Rika Aprianti, spokesperson for the Corrections Department at the Justice Ministry.
Most recently, he was granted a five-month reduction on August 17, Indonesia’s Independence Day. That meant he has fulfilled the parole requirement of serving two-thirds of his current sentence, she said.
Patek was found guilty by the West Jakarta District Court of helping build a car bomb that was detonated by another person outside the Sari Club in Kuta, moments after a smaller bomb in a backpack was detonated by a suicide bomber inside the nearby Paddy’s Pub nightclub.
