INDONESIA RELEASES CONVICTED BALI BOMBER, UMAR PATEK
Indonesia has released on bail Umar Patek, convicted for his role in the Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people in 2002, after he completed just more than half of his sentence. Patek, a member of the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of mixing the bombs used in the attack on two busy nightclubs in the resort town of Kuta.
According to a statement from the ministry of law and human rights on Wednesday that announced his release, Patek will be required to join a mentoring programme until April 2030, but his release will be revoked if he violates any of its terms during that time, the ministry added. Patek was captured in Pakistan in 2011 after nearly 10 years on the run. The Bali attacks were the worst in Indonesian history and led to a crackdown on hardline groups.
