Advertisement
2 Malaysian suspects behind 2002 Bali bombings may return home from Guantanamo Bay subject to plea deals
- The return depends on talks to sever the Malaysians’ cases from that of the alleged mastermind Hambali and other factors
- Malaysia is keen to accept the duo’s return and show it can successfully rehabilitate them, a US academic says
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
4
Two Malaysian suspects linked to the 2002 Bali bombings, and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba, may finally be on their way home after a visit to the US-run facility by Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Advertisement
In a now-deleted Facebook post on September 25, Saifuddin said that he had discussed the cases of Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep with Tina Kaidanow, the US Special Representative for Guantanamo Affairs, while he was in New York on a recent trip by a Malaysian delegation led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Saifuddin also said that he had travelled to Cuba to meet the men in person.
“I have met with two Malaysians detained there. Their story really touched me. It’s a downward spiral about life, about repentance, about the chance to be a better person,” the post said. “With God’s grace, we will try to expedite the process for them to return to Malaysia.”
The two Malaysians were charged in 2021 along with Indonesian national Encep Nurjaman, alias Hambali, for their alleged roles in the bombings. Thursday marks the 21st anniversary of the Bali Bombings, which killed 202 people and injured more than 200 others.
Advertisement
Advertisement