Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, a radical Muslim cleric linked to the 2002 Bali bombings, has been freed from a jail in Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta. Ba’asyir was released on Friday despite growing concerns over his ongoing influence on extremists. Ba’asyir is now 82 years old and is the former head of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah, which killed 202 people in several different attacks.
Indonesian authorities stated that Ba’asyir will enter a de-radicalization program. The bombings in Bali killed people from 21 different nations after two explosives ripped through a bar and club in the Kuta tourist district. The attack is still Indonesia’s deadliest terrorist attack. The release has drawn criticism from Australia, where most of the victims were from.
Read More: Radical cleric linked to Bali bombings freed
