Ustad Dipo

Dec 26th, 2006, in News, by

Azhari Dipo Kusumo, or Ustad Dipo, is a free man after serving time for terrorism convictions.

Ustad Dipo, now 38 years old, a physics teacher, was sentenced to six years, or 72 months, prison for helping to hide Ali Imron, one of the 2002 Bali bombers, and for having possession of 9mm handguns as well as bomb-making materials. He had been arrested after his erstwhile friend Imron had informed on him under police questioning. theage On 21st December 2006 he was released on parole after having served 47 months in a Lamongan, East Java jail. He had received seven remissions on his sentence for good behaviour.

Dipo says he accepts what has happened as just a part of his life and now he intends to return home to take up a teaching position at the Al Ikhlas Sedayulawas Islamic school in Brondong, Paciran, on the north coast of East Java, about two hours drive from Surabaya.

He says his time in prison has brought him closer to God. Unusually, he was put in a cell by himself and spent his days studying the Quran and hadiths. He even made a scale model of a mosque and boarding school, on which was written “Indonesia Bertobat”, Indonesia Repents. He also reached out to other prisoners and gave them religious instruction. One fellow prisoner, Nurhasan, a murderer, was much impressed by the teaching of Dipo and has resolved to become an Ustad too, in the Porong prison. indopos

His wife and two children are thrilled over his release.

Under the conditions of his release he is required to report himself once a month to the city authority of Bojonegoro.

Four other men were imprisoned in Lamongan for helping to aid the escape of Ali Imron to Kalimantan in 2002. Of those Khoirul Anam, Chotib, and Nahdlirin bin Usman received similar conditional releases in August 2006. Meanwhile Zahri has refused to apply for such a release. kompas


4 Comments on “Ustad Dipo”

  1. Rockstar says:

    A question.

    Is this suppose to be a good news or what?

  2. Ihaknt says:

    Rockstar, it depends which camp you’re in. Bashir is free, Dipo is free, hooray, more bombs, it’s great huh, no wonder they keep bombing. For some reason the court cant ‘prove’ that they’re guilty. Sigh!

  3. Mohammed Khafi says:

    Criminal Justice System

    Where?

    And he is going to be allowed to teach, to twist and pervert young minds?

    Indonesia, oh Indonesia!

  4. Andrew says:

    “A chain is as strong as its weakest link.”

    And the weakest link in our justice system is its people.

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