Indonesian police arrested Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir yesterday over his suspected links to bombing attacks, including the Bali blasts, after hundreds of his supporters hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at police.
The frail Bashir, accused of being head of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah network, was released yesterday after being jailed for 18 months for immigration offenses. He was served an arrest warrant and detained as he left jail in central Jakarta.
PHOTO: AFP
"What we witnessed just now was an illegal action from the police. We have not seen that warrant," said Munarman, a lawyer for Bashir.
"This proves the police are showing off in front of their financial backers," he said, charging the police were acting after receiving millions of dollars in financial aid for anti-terrorism training from the US.
Police had tried to question Bashir earlier this week regarding the October 2002 bomb blasts in Bali which killed 202 people. He refused to cooperate.
His re-arrest will likely further enrage his militant supporters and anger Muslim leaders and politicians who accuse authorities of bowing to US pressure over Bashir's case. Washington has said it wants Bashir, 65, to stay behind bars.
Hundreds of his supporters clashed with police near the prison in Jakarta before the smiling cleric was taken away.
The protesters tore up paving stones to hurl at police, who threw the stones back and responded with tear gas, clubs and water cannons in running battles in the early morning that left many injured on both sides, witnesses said.
Thirty-four police were hurt, a police spokesman said.
Police had said earlier they would re-arrest Bashir over allegations he had violated various anti-terrorism statutes. Under Indonesian law he could be held for up to six months for questioning and investigation before formal charges are laid.
Asked for his reaction to being re-arrested, a smiling Bashir said: "There is no problem. There is no problem. I'm fine."
Police then helped him into a waiting armored vehicle and drove him to police headquarters.
According to a police warrant shown this week to reporters, allegations against him include terror conspiracy, plotting attacks and the role of Jemaah Islamiah in terror cases.
Bashir has consistently denied terrorism charges as well as links with Jemaah Islamiah, believed by intelligence officials to be responsible for violence throughout Southeast Asia.
Previous charges against Bashir of treason and of leading Jemaah Islamiah had been dismissed or overturned.
National police spokesman Inspector-General Paiman said: "This is not pressure from the United States. We made the arrest due to terrorism problems."
A US Embassy spokesman said the American government welcomed the decision but denied charges of intervention in the Indonesian legal system.
"There is extensive evidence of Abu Bakar Bashir's leadership role and personal involvement in terrorist activities, but the decision to pursue the prosecution is the Indonesian authorities,'" the spokesman said.
Arresting Bashir and the prospect of a fresh trial pose a challenge to the world's most populous Muslim nation ahead of presidential elections in July, especially with sentiment for Washington at an all-time low over the war in Iraq and US policies towards the Muslim world in general.
In the past two weeks, Bashir has entertained a stream of visitors at the prison, from Islamist politicians to mainstream Muslim leaders, all accusing the US of meddling.
"Clearly this is intervention from foreigners, namely the United States," said well-known Muslim leader Din Syamsuddin.
One Western diplomat who declined to be named said he expected some further protests on Friday and possibly over the weekend, but thought they would be small.
"In terms of the broader political situation, the people that we've talked to in the parties don't seem to have any desire to associate themselves with Bashir," he added.
Salahuddin Wahid, deputy head of the National Human Rights Commission and also deputy chief of the moderate Nahdlatul Ulama, the nation's largest Muslim organisation, said he thought the police may have moved too hastily to re-arrest Bashir and could have pursued their questioning without holding him.
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