JAKARTA: Indonesia is in search of methods to repatriate an al Qaeda-linked Guantánamo Bay detainee accused of involvement in among the nation’s deadliest assaults, together with the 2002 bombings on the vacationer island of Bali, the company mentioned state press.
Described by former president George W Bush as “one of many world’s deadliest terrorists”, Riduan Isamuddin, higher often known as Hambali, is accused of serving to to plan the Bali nightclub assault that killed greater than 200 individuals, for principally international, and of getting financed the assault on the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in 2003.
The former chief of the Southeast Asian militant community Jemaah Islamiyah was arrested in 2003 in a US-led operation in Thailand and earlier than being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.
State information company Antara over the weekend quoted Law and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra as saying the statute of limitations for Indonesia’s circumstances in opposition to Hambali had expired.
“No matter what, Hambali is an Indonesian citizen. No matter how mistaken he’s… we should care for him,” Yusril mentioned, in accordance with Antara. Yusril didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Monday (Jan. 20).
Hambali was additionally suspected by Washington of involvement in plotting the 9/11 assaults within the United States. Indonesia has tried to query Hambali up to now however was denied contact.
It has not been formally revealed whether or not Hambali admitted or denied involvement within the September 11 assaults in Bali and Jakarta.
At its peak, JI was one in every of Asia’s most feared extremist networks, with cells in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, however its affect and assist have waned after a harsh crackdown by authorities and deradicalization programmes.
Senior JI members mentioned in June that the community had been disbanded and that Indonesia was contemplating parole for 2 of its former leaders and amnesty for its jailed members.
Indonesia will focus on Hambali’s repatriation plan with the US authorities, Antara quoted Yusril as saying. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Last 12 months, Washington repatriated two Malaysian detainees from Guantanamo Bay who had pleaded responsible to crimes that included homicide in violation of the legal guidelines of conflict.
