Ba'asyir Moved to Putih Prison

Cilacap (Antara Bali) - Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was moved from Batu prison to Pasir Putih prison on the island of Nusakambangan in Cilacap regency, Central Java province, on Tuesday because Batu was overcrowded, according to an officer.

"The Batu prison is overcrowded with 405 prisoners, because its actual capacity is 232," said Batu prison head Hermawan Yunianto, who is also the coordinator of all prisons in Nusakambangan, here on Wednesday.

He stated that Ba'asyir, a well-known Islamic cleric sentenced to 15 years in prison for terrorism-related crimes, was moved on the instructions of the Central Java Legal and Human Rights office.

"Pasir Putih prison is more convenient for an old man like Ba'asyir because it offers fresh air as well as bigger and better facilities for visitors who come to see the prisoners," Hermawan explained.

"Batu prison was crowded and inconvenient, particularly for Ba'asyir, who often receives four to five visitors at a time," he added. (IGT/T007)