Umar Patek was a leading member of Jemaah Islamiah, which is blamed for the bombings at two nightclubs in Kuta Beach.

Indonesian authorities have said Patek was successfully reformed in prison and they will use him to influence other militants to turn away from terrorism.

Patek, 55, whose real name is Hisyam bin Alizein, received a total of 33 months of sentence reductions, which are often given to prisoners on major holidays, said Rika Aprianti, spokeswoman for the Corrections Department at the Justice Ministry.

Most recently, he was granted a five-month reduction on August 17, Indonesia’s Independence Day.

That meant he has fulfilled the parole requirement of serving two-thirds of his current sentence, she said.

Patek was found guilty by the West Jakarta District Court of helping build a car bomb that was detonated by another person outside the Sari Club in Kuta, moments after a smaller bomb in a backpack was detonated by a suicide bomber inside the nearby Paddy’s Pub nightclub.

The attacks killed 202 people – mostly foreign tourists – including 88 Australians, leaving a deep scar in that country.

Patek was sentenced to 20 years in prison a decade after the bombing.

He left Bali just before the attacks and spent nine years on the run.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently described Patek as “abhorrent” and said his early release would cause further distress to Australians who were affected by the bombings.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the news would bring a “difficult day” for Australians and families who lost loved ones in the Bali bombings.

He told ABC radio the government had advocated against Patek’s early release and would urge the Indonesian government to ensure he had “constant surveillance” while on parole.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the development was concerning but the government respected Indonesia’s legal system.

He said it was important to keep dialogue open between the two nations.

“Indonesians and Australians were killed by these terrible murders, Indonesians and Australians went through this terrible ordeal together,” he told ABC News on Thursday.

“Now we are dealing with the ramifications together, understanding and respecting that Indonesia has their own legal system … (which) does tend to lead to long sentences with early release.”

Bowen said the government would continue to advocate for the Indonesian government to monitor Patek.

“Through our embassies and consulates the Australian government makes all the necessary representations … to ensure all the … protections and measures will be put in place going forward as this man gets released,” he said.

-AAP