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Dozens of Inmates, Including Terrorists, Flee Indonesian Prison Dozens of Inmates, Including Terrorists, Flee Indonesian Prison
(about 4 hours later)
JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian authorities, including an elite police counterterrorism unit, were scouring the northern city of Medan on Friday for dozens of inmates, including convicted terrorists, who escaped from a penitentiary the previous evening during deadly rioting that killed five people.JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian authorities, including an elite police counterterrorism unit, were scouring the northern city of Medan on Friday for dozens of inmates, including convicted terrorists, who escaped from a penitentiary the previous evening during deadly rioting that killed five people.
The riot, which included inmates setting massive fires inside prison offices, was triggered by a power failure and water shortage that disrupted fast-breaking for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, officials said. The riot, which included inmates setting huge fires inside prison offices, was triggered by a power failure and water shortage that disrupted fast-breaking for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, officials said.
Inmates holed up inside the Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary during the violence, which only ended on Friday afternoon, were demanding a review of a 2012 national government regulation that toughened requirements for paroles and sentence remissions for Indonesians convicted of terrorism, drug and corruption offenses.Inmates holed up inside the Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary during the violence, which only ended on Friday afternoon, were demanding a review of a 2012 national government regulation that toughened requirements for paroles and sentence remissions for Indonesians convicted of terrorism, drug and corruption offenses.
About 150 inmates escaped from the medium-security penitentiary after setting fires to prison offices and storming the main gates beginning around 5 p.m. Thursday, and by Friday afternoon 57 had been recaptured, said Heru Prakoso, a spokesman for the North Sumatra Provincial Police. About 150 inmates escaped from the medium-security penitentiary after setting fire to prison offices and storming the main gates beginning around 5 p.m. Thursday, and by Friday afternoon 57 had been recaptured, said Heru Prakoso, a spokesman for the North Sumatra Provincial Police.
Nine of the 14 inmates serving sentences for terrorism-related offenses were among the escapees, he said, and five of them were later captured. Two prison staff members and three inmates were killed during the riots, he said.Nine of the 14 inmates serving sentences for terrorism-related offenses were among the escapees, he said, and five of them were later captured. Two prison staff members and three inmates were killed during the riots, he said.
“The situation is getting better,” Mr. Heru said Friday afternoon. “The fires are out, the inmates are no longer doing anything dangerous, and the nearby community has resumed normal activities. The North Sumatra police chief has ordered all district police offices in North Sumatra to intensify their patrols to find the prisoners who escaped yesterday.”“The situation is getting better,” Mr. Heru said Friday afternoon. “The fires are out, the inmates are no longer doing anything dangerous, and the nearby community has resumed normal activities. The North Sumatra police chief has ordered all district police offices in North Sumatra to intensify their patrols to find the prisoners who escaped yesterday.”
He said the 14 terrorist inmates were either connected to a secret terrorist training camp in Aceh Province, which lies on the northern tip of Sumatra Island and was raided by police in early 2010, or a bank robbery in Medan later that year.He said the 14 terrorist inmates were either connected to a secret terrorist training camp in Aceh Province, which lies on the northern tip of Sumatra Island and was raided by police in early 2010, or a bank robbery in Medan later that year.
Mr. Heru said that Detachment 88, the Western-financed and trained Indonesian police counterterrorism unit, had joined the manhunt for the escaped inmates. Mr. Heru said that Detachment 88, the Western-financed and trained Indonesian police counterterrorism unit, had joined the manhunt.
One of the inmates at large, Fadli Sadama, was convicted of involvement in three separate bank robberies dating back to 2003 to finance terrorist activities, including the 2010 robbery in Medan.One of the inmates at large, Fadli Sadama, was convicted of involvement in three separate bank robberies dating back to 2003 to finance terrorist activities, including the 2010 robbery in Medan.
Local television reports showed hundreds of military personnel and police officers in riot gear surrounding the prison gates Friday morning and fires burning inside buildings. By the afternoon, the prisoners remaining inside allowed the soldiers in to secure the penitentiary and began returning to their cells, according to a reporter at the scene.Local television reports showed hundreds of military personnel and police officers in riot gear surrounding the prison gates Friday morning and fires burning inside buildings. By the afternoon, the prisoners remaining inside allowed the soldiers in to secure the penitentiary and began returning to their cells, according to a reporter at the scene.
Analysts said the riot highlights overcrowding and poor conditions in Indonesian prisons as well as mismanagement by the country’s Department of Corrections. The violence was triggered by power failures and water shortages that began Thursday morning, leaving Muslim inmates without anything to drink to break their fast later in the day. Analysts said the riot highlighted overcrowding and poor conditions in Indonesian prisons as well as mismanagement by the country’s Department of Corrections. The violence was triggered by power failures and water shortages that began Thursday morning, leaving Muslim inmates without anything to drink to break their fast later in the day.
“Tanjung Gusta is terrible because they are overcrowded,” said Leopold Sudaryono, law programs coordinator for the Asia Foundation in Jakarta. “They have 2,600 inmates, while the capacity is only 1,000. So if you don’t get electricity that’s O.K., but if you don’t get water for more than 12 hours and you have to break your fast, it easily stirs up a situation.”“Tanjung Gusta is terrible because they are overcrowded,” said Leopold Sudaryono, law programs coordinator for the Asia Foundation in Jakarta. “They have 2,600 inmates, while the capacity is only 1,000. So if you don’t get electricity that’s O.K., but if you don’t get water for more than 12 hours and you have to break your fast, it easily stirs up a situation.”
As the riots were winding down, a delegation of prisoners led by a terrorist convict named Marwan met with Amir Syamsuddin, Indonesia’s minister of justice and human rights, to protest the regulation that toughens the rules under which terrorism, drug and corruption convicts can be released from prison early.As the riots were winding down, a delegation of prisoners led by a terrorist convict named Marwan met with Amir Syamsuddin, Indonesia’s minister of justice and human rights, to protest the regulation that toughens the rules under which terrorism, drug and corruption convicts can be released from prison early.
Sidney Jones, a Jakarta-based terrorism analyst, warned that inmates at other prisons could also take action to protest the regulation. Sidney Jones, a terrorism analyst based in Jakarta, warned that inmates at other prisons could also take action to protest the regulation.
“What the government needs to do is avoid capitulating to violence,” she said. “Time after time it’s like it takes some massive protest to force them to review a regulation, when there is no reason to review that regulation. There is already a petition to the Constitutional Court to overturn the regulation.”“What the government needs to do is avoid capitulating to violence,” she said. “Time after time it’s like it takes some massive protest to force them to review a regulation, when there is no reason to review that regulation. There is already a petition to the Constitutional Court to overturn the regulation.”
Mr. Sudaryono said the riot leaders torched the penitentiary’s registration office, which contained the personal files of all the inmates, including information like photographs and fingerprints, to help them elude capture. Mr. Sudaryono said the riot leaders burned the penitentiary’s registration office, which contained the personal files of all the inmates, including information like photographs and fingerprints, to help them elude capture.
He said, however, that the information had been backed up on an electronic database in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, about 1,200 miles southeast of Medan, because the penitentiary was part of a pilot program to create a national corrections database. He said, however, that the information had been backed up on an electronic database in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, about 1,200 miles southeast of Medan, because the penitentiary was part of a pilot program to create a national corrections database.
“That’s the first place they target in any riot,” Mr. Sudaryono said. “They figure that if they can wipe it out, they can get some benefit from it.”“That’s the first place they target in any riot,” Mr. Sudaryono said. “They figure that if they can wipe it out, they can get some benefit from it.”