Bombers' Plea Ignored

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday August 7, 2008

Mark Forbes

JAKARTA: A last-ditch attempt by the Bali bombers to escape firing squads with a constitutional challenge is likely to fail because the Indonesian Government says it is "irrelevant" to the executions.

Lawyers for the militants Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra yesterday filed a challenge claiming firing squads were inhuman and violated the constitution. They called on the Government to halt the executions.

Indonesia's Law and Human Rights Minister, Andi Mattalatta, said in response: "The Government's position regarding the Bali bombers' case can be seen by the heavy penalty given to the offenders. If all processes of law are done, the execution will be done."

A Constitutional Court spokesman, Kasianur Sidauruk, said: "In this case the proceedings at the Constitutional Court, in my opinion, won't delay the execution." A spokesman for the Attorney-General's office, Bonaventura Nainggolan, said: "There is no plan to put off the executions."

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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