Indonesia urged foreign critics on Friday to respect a court decision sentencing a radical Muslim cleric to just 30 months in jail for involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings and acquitting him of more serious terrorism charges.The United States and its key ally Australia, who see Abu Bakar Bashir as the head of the al Qaeda-linked regional militant network Jemaah Islamiah, have criticised the verdict and sentence delivered on Thursday as too lenient.
"Indonesia is a democracy where we have to respect the judicial process," Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said. "Our position has always been one of full respect of the judicial process. That also includes the matter of sentences."
Natalegawa said neither country had contacted the Indonesian government to complain and that time needed to be given to the prosecution to decide if it would appeal against the court's decision.
"This is purely a legal process and we don't expect any communication that is intergovernmental in nature," he said.
Natalegawa said Indonesia, unlike many countries, had processed its terrorism suspects through the courts.
"I know of many far more high profile cases where the perpetrators are still at large, or if they have been caught remain incarcerated without any proper trial," Natalegawa said.
Jakarta has won praise for trying and jailing dozens of militants involved in the Bali and Marriott hotel bombings. Three Bali bombers have been sentenced to death.
However, some political analysts question why Indonesia has not sought to ban Jemaah Islamiah or investigate a small number of hardline Islamic boarding schools where key bombers studied.
Some lawyers and security experts have said the case against Bashir was hurt by weak evidence and reluctant witnesses.
They say one hurdle faced by the prosecution was that some evidence remained in the hands of the United States and its allies, who are holding potentially key witnesses, including senior Indonesian Jemaah Islamiah member Hambali, in seclusion.
"A lot of the blame should also go to other governments such as the Americans, which had withheld evidence of not giving Indonesian authorities access to Hambali and other people who could build up cases against him," said Zachary Abuza, a terrorism expert at Simmons College in Boston.
"I have said that I am totally different with Bashir in the way we understand religion, but this is a legal issue," said Ahmad Syafii Maarif, chairman of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-biggest moderate Muslim organisation.
"I hope that the appeal will find Bashir innocent and his name will be rehabilitated."
In its editorial on Friday, the respected Koran Tempo newspaper said:
"Legally, Bashir has not yet been found entirely guilty as the verdict could be tested again. His supporters are allowed to feel disappointed today, but the hope of a legal correction is still open."