The founder of the group behind the 2002 Bali bombings is making a bid to have his 15-year terror sentence reduced.

Lawyers for jailed radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir have lodged an application for a judicial review of his case.

Lawyer Achmad Michdan told AAP the application was made to a Jakarta court on Thursday morning.

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“We hope that it will bring changes to Ustadz Abu’s sentence,” he said, referring to Bashir.

The cleric and founder of Jemaah Islamiah spent 26 months in prison over the Bali bombings before being acquitted.

He is now in central Java’s island prison Nusakambangan for helping set up a terrorist training camp in Aceh.

There have been concerns he was directing terror activities from his jail cell and last year, he was photographed making a pledge to the Islamic State group in prison.

Another lawyer for Bashir, Mahendradatta, claims the 77-year-old has since learned more about IS and now “is not supporting anything”.

“Now Ustadz Abu knows what ISIS is, who actually is behind ISIS and so on,” he told AAP.

“We asked him to be more neutral.

“It’s not a matter of ISIS fighting the US. ISIS is fighting our own brothers more.”

Aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombings. Photo: Getty

Mahendradatta said they have new evidence and plan to produce three new witnesses in court if the application for a judicial review is approved.

Bashir had asked the lawyers to work faster, he said.

“Ustadz Abu’s belief is that he’s not guilty, this is his principle, `I’m not guilty and I will fight for my freedom’,” he said.

Bali bombing victims have responded in shock to the move.

Ni Lu Erniati, who leads the Bali support group Isana Dewata Foundation, said as the founder of Jemaah Islamiah, Bashir was an “elder” for violent jihadists.

“In my opinion, 15 years was not a fair sentence for what he did back then,” she said.

“He should have been sentenced to life.”

Indonesia’s National Counter Terrorism Agency spokesman Irfan Idris said it was Bashir’s right to seek a judicial review.

But the courts must test whether he is truly deradicalised.

“If he hasn’t changed, it’s the state’s right to refuse him,” he said. “If he’s still hardened, it’s dangerous.”

The 2002 Bali bombings in Kuta killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

-AAP