Court Rules Bali Bombers Can Be Executed by Firing Squad | Voice of America - English
Indonesia's constitutional court has ruled the three men convicted in the 2002 Bali bombings and sentenced to death may be executed by firing squad, quashing their claim it is inhumane and against the constitution.
The constitutional court also dismissed a request by the Bali bombers to be beheaded instead of shot, which their lawyers argue is a more humane method of execution. The three bombers: Amrozi Nurhasyim, Ali Gufron, and Imam Samudra, have been sentenced to death for the 2002 Bali bombings that claimed the lives of 202 people, many of them foreign tourists. Presiding judge Mohammad Mahfud says the pain generated by a firing squad is a natural part of the execution process and not torture, as claimed by the bombers' lawyers. He says there is no justification for the request and that the court has rejected it. The three bombers, who are part of the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, have exhausted all appeals and are expected to be executed soon. In an unusual announcement, the attorney general said he will give more details about the timing of the executions, this Friday. Indonesia carries out executions by firing squad, usually late at night and without giving prior notice to the public. A lawyer for the bombers, Wirawan Adnan, says he will respect the court's decision. "We have to respect the decision. This is because this is a highly respected court and we have to respect the decision," Wirawan said. "We do have our disappointment. But, with that being said, we still respect the constitution and again this is our petition for the constitution, not necessarily for Amrozi, it's for the interest of the constitution." The three Bali bombers vow their followers will avenge their execution, but most terrorist experts agree Jemaah Islamiyah is no longer capable of launching major terrorist attacks. Also on Tuesday, police raided a house in Jakarta seizing weapons and bomb-making materials from the site, but did not give further details.