Ali Imron, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings, has asked for a presidential pardon, saying he wants to be released to work on deradicalization projects across Indonesia.
Imron, 54, spent 21 years in prison for the bombing that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians, on the Indonesian island of Bali.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP), which reported that he was hoping for a pardon from Indonesian President Joko Widodo, he said he felt “tired.”
“I don't want to be released purely for personal reasons,” Imron told SCMP. “I want to be free so that I can work on deradicalization programs across Indonesia. From a personal point of view, I would rather be indoors where my life is not in danger.”
“I have to tell people the facts… Jemaah Islamiyah still exists as an organization and there is still a potential threat to the people,” he said of the terrorist organization that carried out the Bali attacks. Mentioned.
“All I can do from prison is warn people not to plan any more attacks.”
While in prison, he has taken part in government deradicalization programs, including speaking at schools to warn against extremism. The Indonesian government is combining these deradicalization efforts with security crackdowns as part of its counter-terrorism efforts.
Imron, who was a teacher at an Islamic boarding school before the attack, was convicted in 2003 at the age of 33 for assembling and transporting the explosives used in the attack. He was one of the few defendants who expressed remorse.
His brothers Amrozi bin Nurhashim and Ali Guffron, as well as Imam Samudra, were sentenced to death. They defended the bombing as necessary to avenge the treatment of Muslims by the United States and Israel.
Any pardon for Imron could be highly controversial in Australia, where many of the victims of the attack are from.
Umar Patek, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2012 after being found guilty of making bombs that destroyed two nightclubs in Bali, will be released on parole in December 2022.
His release sparked outrage within Australia, including among the victims' families. The Australian government said at the time that many people would be “deeply traumatized” by Mr Patek's release and called for “assurances from the Indonesian government that he will be subject to continued supervision and monitoring”.
