Authorities say Indonesia is reviewing a decision to grant early release to a radical Muslim cleric linked to the 2002 Bali bombings, Abu Bakar Bashir, but preparations for his return on Tuesday are still in full swing.
According to a spokesperson for the Al-Mukmin Islamic School founded by Bashir, tents had already been erected, and preparations inside the mosque finished awaiting his return.
Last week, President Joko Widodo said Bashir, 81, would be granted early release on humanitarian grounds, citing his old age and poor health, but on Monday after news of the plan provoked criticism, Indonesia’s chief security minister said the government was reviewing the matter.
Abu Bakar Bashir, who is considered the spiritual leader of the Islamist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), was convicted under anti-terrorism laws in 2010 for links to militant training camps in the province of Aceh, on the island of Sumatra, and jailed for 15 years.