Jailed Cleric Named as Terrorist Suspect

Militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, scheduled to be released from prison in two weeks, was declared a terrorist suspect by police Friday, making it likely that he would remain in custody.

Police said they would investigate long-standing allegations that the 65-year-old preacher headed Jemaah Islamiah. Authorities say the terrorist network was responsible for the bombings of Bali nightclubs in October 2002, which killed 202 people, and the JW Marriott Hotel here last year, which killed 12.

“We will interrogate Abu Bakar Bashir as a suspect,” national Police Chief Dai Bachtiar said. “We are still investigating what his role was.”

Indonesia has been under pressure by the United States and neighboring nations to keep Bashir behind bars. Diplomats say there is ample evidence based on the testimony of captured Jemaah Islamiah members that he is the terrorist network’s spiritual leader.

The United States has criticized the reduction of Bashir’s prison sentence and the planned release of what an embassy spokesman termed “a known terrorist leader.”

Bashir was arrested a week after the Bali bombings, convicted of treason and immigration violations and sentenced to four years in prison. However, his treason conviction was thrown out on appeal and his sentenced reduced to 18 months. He is scheduled to be released April 30.

He denies that he is the leader of Jemaah Islamiah and says the group does not exist. He was never charged with involvement in the Bali blast or with violating Indonesia’s new anti-terrorism law.

Reached by cellphone at Salemba Prison, Bashir blamed the new investigation on the United States.

“They [police] just want to please America, because in the court it was not proved that I was involved in the Bali bombing,” he said. “About the Marriott bombing, I know nothing. I was already in prison.”

The U.S. Embassy spokesman denied that Washington was attempting to interfere in Indonesian affairs.

“We respect the independence of Indonesia’s judicial system,” he said. “Any decision about future prosecution of Abu Bakar Bashir for involvement in the Bali bombings or any terrorist act can only be made by the Indonesian authorities.”

Suyitno Landung, chief of detectives, provided little information about the new investigation but pointed out that witnesses in Singapore and Malaysia had identified Bashir as the “emir” of Jemaah Islamiah. He noted that police last year seized a letter written by Jemaah Islamiah operatives identifying Bashir as the group’s leader.

Police announced that they would attempt to question Bashir next week but said it was too early to determine whether they would seek to keep him in custody beyond April 30.

In prison, Bashir has been free to conduct interviews face to face and by telephone, often making inflammatory comments suggesting that violence by Muslims against Americans and U.S. allies is justified.

Prison authorities allow Bashir to teach a religious class to 100 inmates four times a week. One inmate washes the cleric’s clothes and cooks his meals. An aide is posted outside the prison to run errands for him.

Bashir, who is represented by 74 attorneys, said Friday that he would resist any attempt to keep him locked when his sentence ended.

“I will not accept it just like that,” he said. “I will fight with words and prayers. That is the only thing I can do. I do not want to accept the police action against me because America is behind them. But I accept the fate that God has decided for me.”

Sari Sudarsono of The Times’ Jakarta Bureau contributed to this report.