Bali sentence outrage

Peter Hughes
Bali survivor fears sentence will encourage terrorists
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Bali/Bali-survivor-fears-sentence-will-encourage-terrorists/2005/03/03/1109700598146.html
March 3, 2005 - 5:08PM
· Bashir gets 2.5 years jail for Bali bomb plot
· Australia and US disappointed at length of Bashir's sentence

A Perth survivor of the Bali bombings said today he feared terrorists would be encouraged by the "totally inadequate" sentence handed down to alleged terror leader Abu Bakar Bashir.
A Jakarta court convicted the Muslim cleric of criminal conspiracy today and sentenced him to two and a half years jail, but cleared him of more serious offences.

Peter Hughes suffered burns to 54 per cent of his body after surviving two of the devastating bomb blasts in October, 2002, that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
Despite standing just metres from the suicide bomber in Paddys Bar, Mr Hughes was able to stagger into the street before a second bomb went off outside the Sari Club, propelling him back into the burning building.
After coming out of a month-long coma, during which he died and was revived three times, Mr Hughes recovered enough to write a book about his experiences, and gave a witness impact statement at the trial of Amrozi - who was sentenced to death.
Today, Mr Hughes said he feared the outcome in the trial of Bashir - whom many western governments believe is the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah - would only encourage more attacks.
"It's totally inadequate," Mr Hughes said.
"I've always thought that he was pretty much behind the Bali bombings - the conspiracy.
"That doesn't send a message to anyone ... two years is nothing in the scheme of things.
"It affected 21 different countries, let alone Indonesia, and I tend to think he has got off extremely lightly.
"It just sends a message to his followers to keep doing it."
With credit for time already served, Bashir could walk free before the end of 2006.
The five-judge panel acquitted him of five more serious anti-terror charges, including directly ordering the Bali attack.
"I tend to think that he is at the top of this group," Mr Hughes said.
"I tend to think he should have a life imprisonment.
"The message should be life for heading something up like this and to be taken as guilty, his followers are going to be sitting outside court laughing their heads off and thinking 'well, we can go ahead and do this more often than not'."
Mr Hughes said he felt the Indonesian justice system had erred by delivering a "slap on the wrist" to a "cowardly man who had preyed on the young, weak and vulnerable".
AAP