Indonesia says it will listen to concerns filed by Australia after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his country’s displeasure over the early release planned for Umar Patek, a man who played a key role in the 2002 Bali bombings.
Umar was found guilty in 2012 of crafting the explosives for the deadly bombings at two nighclubs, resulting to the death of 202 people, including 88 Australians. After previously receiving several sentence remissions, Umar was scheduled to be released in January next year, but he may now walk free this month after he received another five-month remission for Independence Day on Aug. 17.
Umar was also responsible for church bombings in 2000.
On top of good behavior in prison that made him eligible for the sentence remission, it has been reported that Umar could be released on parole this month pending approval from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.
Originally sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, Umar may only end up serving 10 years behind bars if he were released this month.
Neighboring Australia, which still supplies a huge chunk of international tourists to Bali, has expressed their shock at Umar’s parole eligibility.
“They (Indonesia) informed us of that decision, and we informed them of our view of that decision,” Albanese told reporters in Queensland.
“They have a system whereby when anniversaries occur, quite often sentences are reduced and commuted for people. But when it comes to someone who’s committed such a heinous crime, a designer and maker of a bomb designed to kill people, to kill and maim, then we have a very strong view.”
In response to Albanese’s statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said today that the two nations often communicate on various matters.
“As two friendly nations, the government of Indonesia and the government of Australia do not have obstacles to discuss various issues,” he said, without specifying whether or not Indonesia would do anything to prevent Umar’s early release.
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