A radical Islamic cleric who was the spiritual leader of the Bali bombers and a force behind a jihadist training camp raided in 2010 has been transferred from prison to a Jakarta hospital.
Guarded by four paramilitary police officers, the ailing white-bearded Abu Bakar Bashir arrived at the hospital in Indonesia’s capital on Thursday morning.
The octogenarian Bashir suffers from medical problems including chronically weak blood circulation.
Local media reported that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo agreed with Bashir receiving treatment in hospital on humanitarian grounds.
Bashir’s sympathizers hope Mr. Jokowi will grant Bashir a permanent release due to his poor health, a move that would help mend fences between hard-line Muslims and Mr. Jokowi ahead of a presidential election in 2018 but would alarm allies such as the U.S. and Australia. Mr. Jokowi’s approval ratings remain high with the broader Indonesian public.
The firebrand cleric was arrested almost immediately after the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners including 88 Australians.
But prosecutors were unable to prove a string of terrorism-related allegations. He was instead sentenced to 18 months prison for immigration violations.
Bashir has repeatedly denied any involvement in terror attacks and after being sentenced in 2011 for his role in the militant training camp said he rejected the ruling from “infidel” authorities.
“This verdict ignores sharia law and is based on the infidel law, so it’s forbidden for me to accept it,” Bashir said.
