Jakarta, Indonesia - Radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir and 19 others connected to the Bali nightclub blasts are set to have their prison terms cut.
Abu Bakar Bashir, the radical Muslim cleric found guilty of conspiracy in the Bali bombings, could have his sentence cut by five months in a national amnesty to celebrate 60 years of Indonesia's independence.
In a move that has outraged the victims of the bombings, Bashir could be freed from prison as early as April next year.
Indonesian officials were tight-lipped, but senior sources confirmed that Bashir's 30-month sentence for inciting terrorism — connected to the 2002 Bali bombings and 2003 Marriott hotel blast — could be reduced.
Indonesian Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin has indicated that Bashir and 19 others jailed in connection with the Bali bombings would receive sentence remissions in conjunction with Wednesday's independence day celebration.
A Justice Ministry spokesman refused to provide details of Bashir's remissions and said any announcements would be made on Wednesday.
But official sources said Bashir was likely to receive one month's remission for each year of his sentence on the basis of good behaviour, and an extra 2½ months could be taken off as part of the independence day.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer played down the issue, saying through a spokesman that the Government remained very pleased Bashir was locked up and small reductions in sentences were not uncommon.
"We are pleased with what they have done to bring the Bali bombers to justice and as for Abu Bakar Bashir, he is on very different types of charges because of very unusual circumstances," Mr Downer's spokesman said.
"This is a very general remission that applies to virtually every prisoner as a mark of independence and we are just pleased that he is in custody."
But Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd suggested the Government should have done more to lobby the Indonesian Government.
"Many Australians found it difficult to understand how Schapelle Corby got 20 years for the importation of a quantity of marijuana while Abu Bakar Bashir got 30 months for being the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah — the mob who murdered nearly 100 Australians in Bali," Mr Rudd said.
"Australians will find it even harder to cop if the 30 months is reduced even further."
The Government had initially expressed disappointment over Bashir's 30-month jail term, saying it had hoped for a longer sentence.
Relatives of victims of the Bali bombings yesterday labelled the decision to reduce the sentence as outrageous and an insult.
Brian Deegan, whose son Josh was killed in the attack, in which 202 people died, said Bashir's original sentence was already too short.
"It's absolutely outrageous. If you calculated it out, it's only 126 weeks for 202 deaths. That's 1.6 weeks per death and then it is to be reduced."
Mr Deegan called on the Australian Government to act.
"Our Government should be outraged. It's high time they stood up for Australian citizens," he said
David "Spike" Stewart, who lost his son Anthony in the bombings, said it was an insult.
"It's bloody disgusting. This is personal for us, an absolute insult," he said. "What are they saying to these terrorists? You can do whatever you like, kill 202 people and don't worry, you'll be out in a few months."
Just over half of Indonesia's 105,000 prison inmates are likely to receive the remissions on Wednesday.