Dozens detained after raid on Indonesian jihadist training camp freed because ‘no proof’ they are militants

Indonesian police on Sunday released most of the men detained while attending military-style training at a suspect jihadi camp, as officials lamented weaknesses in the current anti-terrorism legislation that is due to be significantly strengthened following last month’s deadly attacks in Jakarta.

The elite anti-terrorism squad early on Saturday detained 38 men at a suspected militant camp on the remote slopes of Mount Sumbing in Central Java province, said provincial police spokesman Colonel Liliek Darmanto. Police seized air rifles, knives, and jihadi books and flags in the raid.

However, they were released early on Sunday after 24-hour questioning as police were unable to prove a string of terrorism-related allegations, he said.

“This is the weakness of our laws,” said Saud Usman Nasution, head of the anti-terrorism agency. “We cannot arrest before they have committed a crime even though we can detect a radical network.”

His agency has been pushing the government to strengthen the anti-terrorism law. It gained momentum following the January 14 suicide and gun attacks in Jakarta, which left eight people dead, including four of the attackers.

In response to the attacks, Indonesia’s government submitted a new anti-terrorism law to parliament this past week.

The draft bill, obtained by The Associated Press, says an individual suspected of plotting to carry out an act of terrorism could be detained for up to six months without charges. If approved, it would be the first time for such a tough measure to be enacted since the downfall of dictator Suharto in 1998.