Indonesia to reconsider granting automatic sentence cuts News
Indonesia to reconsider granting automatic sentence cuts

[JURIST] The Indonesian government is reviewing a decree granting automatic sentence remissions to prisoners, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Friday. The announcement follows protests from Australia over news that cleric Abu Bakir Bashir [BBC profile], convicted for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings [CNN backgrounder], is up for another sentence reduction in November. Indonesia will consider revising the presidential decree on remissions for serious crimes, including terrorism, however Wirayuda denied that the review is being made in response to Australia's criticisms. Currently, sentence cuts are granted automatically to well-behaved prisoners to mark Independence Day and religious festivals and apply to all imprisoned who have served at least six months. In an interview [transcript] earlier this week, Australian Prime Minister John Howard [official website] said that any further remissions given to Bashir would cause "very deep and lasting anger" in Australia. AFP has more.