Australia could lobby Indonesia over possible early release of Bali bomber Umar Patek

Australia could lobby Indonesia to overturn a court decision which could see the possible early release of one of the men responsible for the deaths of 88 Australians in the Bali bombing.

Australia could lobby Indonesia to overturn a court decision which would see one of the Bali bombers released from prison early, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated.

One of the bombers, Umar Patek, received a reduction on his sentence as part of the nation’s independence day celebrations.

It means he could be released within days after serving just half of his 20-year sentence.

Mr Albanese said he would explore a diplomatic solution and make representations to the Indonesian government.

“They have a system whereby when anniversaries occur quite often sentences are reduced and commuted for people,” he said on Friday.

“But, when it comes to someone who’s committed such a heinous crime, a designer and maker of a bomb designed to kill people, to kill and maim, then we have a very strong view.

“We do respectfully put forward our view in the strongest possible terms about this.”

There were more than 200 people killed in the 2002 terrorist attack, including 88 Australians.

Patek was the bombmaker for the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiah. He was jailed in 2012 after being located in Pakistan the previous year and extradited to Indonesia for trial.

Mr Albanese said news of the convicted terrorists early release would have a devastating impact on families still dealing with the trauma of losing loved ones in the 2002 attack.

“I have enormous sympathy for them. I know people who lost loved ones in Bali at that time,” he said.

“All Australians’ sympathies are with you at this difficult time, and certainly not with this terrorist who engaged in this abhorrent action.”

Originally published as Australia could lobby Indonesia over possible early release of Bali bomber Umar Patek