JAKARTA - Radical Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has long refused to recognise the legitimacy of the Indonesian government, and was renowned for his scathing criticisms of Muslim world leaders.
Yet, the ideological godfather of the disbanded Jemaah Islamiah (JI), which was the terrorist group behind the 2002 Bali bombings and other terror plots across South-east Asia at the turn of the millennium, will in days owe his freedom to one such leader.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you