Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Indonesia has denied it refused to cut the sentence of the Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir because of Australian pressure. It had reduced the convictions of many others involved in the Bali bombings, it said. The Justice Minister, Hamid Awaluddin, made the claims amid pressure for a parliamentary inquiry into external interference in the decision.

Australia lobbied against cutting the term of the alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah, saying it would outrage Australians. It is the first time Indonesia has said that other terrorists, including 27 prisoners convicted on charges relating to the 2002 Bali bombings, would receive remissions to mark the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

"There has been a misperception, as if the absence of a remission for Bashir is linked to pressure from the United States or Australia in relation to a number of bomb blasts in Indonesia," Mr Awaluddin told the newspaper Kompas.

"If that is the judgement of people, it is clearly wrong, because many prisoners in cases of bomb explosions such as the Bali and Makassar bombings were granted remissions." Bashir was given a 30-month sentence for authorising the Bali bombings, in which 202 died.

Mr Alawuddin did not say why Bashir's cut was rejected, when a week earlier he said all prisoners were entitled to the reduction. The "technical" decision was based on the recommendation of his prison head. "In the case of Bashir, the head of the jail possibly deemed he was not co-operative and able to work well with the wardens," he said.

Last week Mr Alawuddin's spokesman, Taswem Tarip, said Bashir was a simple, religious old man. "He behaves well; he never says bad things," he said. r Tarip refused to discuss the comments or answer questions about the remissions yesterday.

Bashir and his supporters condemned the "regime in Australia" for interfering in Indonesian affairs after the decision was announced late last week. The deputy chairman of Indonesia's parliament, A. M. Fatwa, has also protested against the ruling. "Bashir had his jail term reduced by five months in relation to Indonesian independence day two months ago," he said. "Why not now?" Mr Fatwa said it was impossible the prison head did not propose a special remission for Bashir since the cleric had behaved and carried out "positive activities".

It was hard not to conclude the decision was due to US and Australian pressure, he said. He said he would ask the parliament's commission on legal affairs to investigate if Indonesia's independence was compromised.