After the deadly bombings of two Bali nightclubs in 2002, some survivors say they were sentenced to “life imprisonment”.
“My life changed forever,” Australian man Andrew Sesabi told JEE News.
On Wednesday, the man who made the bomb that killed Mr Sabi’s friends was released from an Indonesian prison.
Indonesia says Umar Patek has been extradited, but his parole has sparked outrage – particularly in Australia, where 88 of the victims were related.
About 202 people from 21 countries were killed in the explosions on October 12 of the same year. This is Indonesia’s deadliest terrorist attack.
Patek was accused of building bombs for Jamaat-e-Islamiya (JI), an al-Qaeda-inspired group, and spent nearly a decade on the run.
He was jailed for 20 years in 2012, serving more than half of his original sentence.
Indonesian authorities say he is no longer a threat and is eligible for release after a reduced sentence for good behavior.
John Lezinski, an Australian who lost five friends in the bombings, said he was among those shocked and angry.
“This man has got his life back,” he told JEE News on Thursday.
“It’s horrible. It’s horrible. It’s wrong.”
He described it as “another kick in the guts” following the release last year of the alleged mastermind of the attacks, Abubakar Basir, who served a sentence unrelated to the bombings.
Mr. Sabi said that this decision has also spread fear. “You like to feel safe – we all do – and now I don’t feel as safe as I used to.
“If they still harbor hateful thoughts, there is a strong possibility that they could instigate another bombing.”
Mr Laczynski said some survivors believed Patek had been reformed.
“I’ve seen him in prison, I’ve seen him up close. He didn’t seem out of place to me….I don’t buy it at all.”
The Australian government lobbied against Patek’s release and said it would pressure Indonesian authorities to promise continued surveillance.
Australians “have every right to be disappointed and upset by this news,” Minister Chris Bowen said on Thursday.
Both Mr. Csabi and Mr. Laczynski say Patek’s release is particularly painful because of its timing. It is the 20th anniversary of the bombing and a few weeks after Christmas.
A statement from Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights said Patek was required to join an “observation program” until April 2030 and his parole would be revoked if any violations were found.
