Bali bombings: Convicted bomb maker apologises to victims’ families 

An Indonesian bomb maker, Umar Patek, convicted for his role in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub attacks has apologised to the victims’ families.

Umar Patek, who was jailed for 20 years in 2012, was released on parole last week.

“I apologise to the victims and their families, both at home and abroad, whatever their country, whatever their ethnicity, whatever their religion,” Patek said in an interview on Tuesday at a deradicalisation centre in East Java province.

“I apologise to the Australian people who have been deeply impacted by the Bali bombing,” he added.

Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians.

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Patek also said he would help the Indonesian government in its counter-terrorism efforts, adding he was “ready to become an ambassador for peace”.

 Patek will be required to participate in a “mentoring programme” until April 2030, and any violation could see his parole revoked, said Indonesia’s justice ministry.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, has pioneered a deradicalisation programme alongside security crackdowns as part of its efforts to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy.

Patek’s release has sparked anger in Australia.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said soon after he was freed that it was a “difficult day” for Australians who lost loved ones and relatives in the attacks.

Reuters/Zainab Sa’id