Bashir could be acquitted on appeal March 4, 2005 - 7:57AM The AGE Abu Bakar Bashir (R) greets his supporters at Cipinang prison in Jakarta. Photo: Reuters There was a possibility Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir could be acquitted on appeal over his role in the Bali bombings, an international conflict resolution group said today. Bashir was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail yesterday after a court in Jakarta found him guilty of conspiracy in the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. "I think it is a token conviction and I think there's a possibility that he will be fully acquitted on appeal," International Crisis Group (ICG) south-East Asia project director Sidney Jones told ABC Radio. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has instructed the Australian embassy in Jakarta to question the sentence with Indonesian officials, who have seven days to appeal. A sentence of about eight years would have been more appropriate for Bashir, who is seen as the spiritual head of terrorist organisation Jemaah Islamiah (JI), Mr Downer said. Ms Jones said it is likely Bashir will be out before the end of 2006. "The maximum that he'll be in prison is 'til the end of next year. My guess is that he'll be out much sooner," she said. Bashir was found guilty of conspiracy, but cleared of more serious charges over the bombings. "He'd already pulled back from the day-to-day operations of JI by that stage (of the bombings)," Ms Jones said. "To think of the leader of an organisation like that going free ... is a real problem, particularly for people outside Indonesia. "(But) inside Indonesia, he's not seen as somebody who has been directly responsible for acts of violence," she said. "To this day there are people who don't believe he had anything to do with Jemaah Islamiah and who even don't believe Jemaah Islamiah exists." This may have influenced the sentence by the Indonesian courts, she said. - AAP [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
