Militant Jailed For Bali Bombing Freed

An Islamic militant jailed for the Bali bombings that killed 202 people was released from prison Thursday and 11 others who played minor roles had their sentences reduced to mark Indonesia's Independence Day.

It is an Indonesian tradition to cut jail terms on holidays, but the decision was likely to anger countries that lost citizens in the twin nightclub attacks four years ago. Family members of the victims, 88 of whom were Australian, said they were pained by the news.

Three militants serving time in East Kalimantan's capital of Balikpapan received reductions of four months, paving the way for one, Puryanto, to walk free on Thursday, said Edi, a prison official who uses a single name.

Nine other men imprisoned on Bali island had their sentences cut by four months, said justice ministry official Djoko Bambang Untung.

Australian Brian Deegan, who lost his 21-year-old son Josh in the bombings, said he was disappointed.

"This shows that the Indonesians aren't serious about fighting terrorism," he told The Associated Press.

Indonesia has arrested hundreds of al Qaeda-linked militants in recent years and jailed 33 people over the 2002 bombings — the first in a series of annual attacks in Indonesia blamed on the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network.

Among those imprisoned was the group's reputed spiritual head, Abu Bakar Bashir, who was freed in June. He too benefited from holiday pardons in the past, drawing protests from Australia, which reiterated its position Thursday that jail terms of terrorists should not be cut.

Those who benefited from Thursday's sentence reductions played relatively minor roles in the suicide bombings — from helping shelter the main suspects to carrying out robberies to finance the attacks.

Three militants are scheduled to be executed later this month and three others are serving life sentences.

Puryanto, the man who was released on Thursday, said he did not know anything about the bombings.

He admitted to meeting Ali Imron, serving life for his role in the attack, but said he did not know then that he was wanted. Puryanto said he gave Imron a place to stay after the militant came to his farm in a remote village in East Kalimantan looking for work.

"I accept that I was imprisoned as my fate," he said in a telephone interview. "I'm happy that I can now live together again with my family, but I'm still afraid the stigma of terrorism will follow me."

Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin said 54,000 prisoners had their sentences cut on Thursday, most by a few months, and of those 6,000 were freed.

Among those who received remissions was Australian Schapelle Corby, serving 20 years for smuggling drugs to Bali island, said justice ministry official, Anak Agung Mayun Mataram. Two months were shaved from her sentence, he said.

By Robin Mcdowell