Indonesian cleric linked to 2002 Bali bombings walks free after 10 years in jail

FILE PHOTO: Indonesian radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir enters a courtroom for the first day of an appeal hearing in Cilacap, Central Java province, January 12, 2016. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

SUKOHARJO, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesian Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the suspected mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, walked free from prison on Friday after serving 10 years for setting up a militant training camp.

Bashir, 82, who was never convicted of a direct role in the bombings, would enter a deradicalisation programme amid concerns over his continued influence in extremist circles, authorities said.