Bloody riots broke out outside the prison where Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was re-arrested moments after he stepped free from jail, having served a sentence for immigration offences.
| "How you doing, Abu? Long time no see, put these cuffs on." |
Hundreds of his supporters clashed with police and scores were injured. The 65-year-old preacher was re-arrested under an anti-terror law, and police say he will be charged with the Bali bombings and other terror attacks.
It was a destructive dawn.
| Not a dark and stormy night? |
As police ejected Abu Bakar's hardcore followers and students from the prison gates early Friday, more than tempers flared.
| Seething and ranting from one and all |
Slabs of stone and firebombs flew.
Shots rang out.
| Somewhere a woman screamed! |
When the police first arrested Abu Bakar in his hometown in Solo, Central Java, in November 2002, scenes like these also broke out. Then, police had to yank Abu Bakar from his hospital bed which his supporters had surrounded. Abu Bakar had claimed ill-health at the time.
| Got his health back in the joint, pity. |
Coming back to Friday morning, the battle-hardened teacher-turned-terrorist suspect emerged from prison smiling.
| "Free at last, free at last, thank Allah I'm free at last!" |
But hours later, the cleric was taken to the police headquarters where he was detained and interrogated over his alleged leadership of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, the group blamed for the Bali bombings which killed just over 200 people.
| Expect illness to break out anytime now. |
Speaking to Channel NewsAsia, the cleric said he'll be "rock steady" while in police detention. "I'm prepared to speak in court. I'm ready. Bring in the evidence from all over the world. I'm ready to face them," he said.
| "All da witnesses are dead" |
Under Indonesia's new anti-terrorism laws, Abu Bakar can be detained at the police headquarters for up to 6 months before fresh terror charges can again be filed against him.
| Handy being a quasi-police state. |
M Assegaf, Abu Bakar's lawyer, said: "The police claim (terrorist suspects) Omar Al Farouq and Hambali will be witnesses. That's nonsense. Their evidence will be nullified in court and the cleric will be freed."
| "Even if he doesn't, I still get paid, right?" |
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