BBC News
By Preeti Jha
image copyrightAl-Mukmin Islamic School
image captionAn image sent to BBC News Indonesia shows Ba asyir (second from the right) in a vehicle with his family after being released early on Friday
A radical Muslim cleric linked to the 2002 Bali bombings has been freed amid concerns over his ongoing influence on extremists.
Abu Bakar Ba asyir was picked up by his family from a jail outside Indonesia s capital Jakarta early on Friday.
The 82-year-old is the former head of Jemaah Islamiah, an al-Qaeda-inspired group behind the attack that killed 202 people.
Authorities say he will enter a deradicalisation programme.
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Bali bomber released
A radical cleric linked to the 2002 Bali bombings has been freed despite concerns about his influence on extremists. Abu Bakar Ba asyir, 82, is the former head of Jemaah Islamiah, the group behind the attack that killed 202 people. However, he has always denied any involvement in terrorism. Authorities say he will enter a deradicalisation programme.
The controversial Islamic cleric and alleged mastermind of the 2002 Bali Bombings, Abu Bakar Ba asyir, 82, was freed from an Indonesian jail on Friday (January 8) morning. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2011 for his role in the bombings. But considering his age and good behavior in prison, his sentence was cut down by 55 months, drawing widespread condemnation.
Ba asyir was the teacher at an al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist organization named Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) when the group set off bombs in two Bali nightclubs Paddy s Irish Bar and Sari Club and outside the US consulate on October 12, 2002, killing 202 and injuring 209 people from 21 nations.