Abu Bakar Ba'asyir

Abu Bakar Ba'asyir (alternatively spelt Bashir) (1938-) is an elderly Indonesian Muslim cleric with links clearly established by a number of intelligence agencies to both Jemaah Islamiyah and also al-Qaeda. Ba'asyir denies all links with Jemaah Islamiyah or terrorism.

The Indonesian government has been reluctant to proceed against Ba'asyir for fear of provoking a Muslim backlash. On April 14 2003, he was formally charged, by the Indonesian government, with treason, immigration violations, and giving false documents and statements to the police. The charges are mainly related to the series of bombings against Christian churches on Christmas Eve 2000, which killed 19 people.