Bali bombers

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October 13, 2008

INDONESIA will next week announce details about the executions of three Bali bombers, the government said today.
A spokesman for Indonesia's Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said there were "no obstacles" to prevent the executions from proceeding.

The Attorney General's office would give details of the executions on October 24, spokesman Jasman Pandjaitan said.

"Basically, there's no obstacles," he said.

"Even so, there are some preparations needed.

"We have to coordinate with the firing squad, the executor and other related parties like the prison and its officers."

Indonesia does not normally make public the timing and locations of executions, raising speculation that the statement on Friday next week could be to announce the bombers have been put to death.

Today's comments came a day after the sixth anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

Three Islamic militants - Amrozi, his brother Mukhlas and Imam Samudra - sentenced to die over the attacks have never expressed any remorse for their roles and claim they will die as martyrs.

Australian Natalie Grezl Juniardi, who lost her Balinese husband John in the blasts, yesterday urged the Government to carry out the executions as soon as possible.

"It was six years ago and we're still waiting," for the bombers to be executed, she said.

"I just feel that they (the government) need to do it as soon as possible.

"They keep talking about it, talking about it and talking about it and nothing is being done. So, how is anyone going to believe what they say if they don't go ahead with it?"

Indonesia temporarily halted its plans to execute the three men out of respect for the holy Islamic fasting month in September.

The bombers have exhausted all legal options, although their lawyers have launched a side challenge in Indonesia's Constitutional Court arguing that execution by firing squad amounts to torture.

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October 17, 2008


JAKARTA: Three Islamic militants on death row over the 2002 Bali bombings have been visited by family members as their executions draw nearer.

Indonesia's Attorney General is expected to announce next Friday details of the executions.

In accordance with the country's laws, Indonesia does not make public the timing and location of executions, raising speculation that the statement could be to announce the bombers have been put to death.

Indonesia's Constitutional Court is expected to rule on Tuesday on a side challenge by the bombers' lawyers, who have argued the country's use of firing squads to carry out executions amounts to torture.

Defence lawyer Achmad Michdan said the bombers Amrozi and Imam Samudra were visited by their wives, mothers and other relatives at their Nusakambangan Island prison, off Central Java, today.

He said relatives of Amrozi's brother Mukhlas would visit next week.

“This is not the families' last visit because next week there will be visits from Mukhlas' wife and his children, who are still in Malaysia,” he said.

Samudra's mother Embay Badriyah said the executions were a matter for god.

“Death is in god's hands - we submit it all to god,” she told reporters. “We can only pray.”

The men were convicted of playing key roles in the October 12, 2002 Bali nightclub bombings which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

A spokesman for Indonesia's Attorney General Hendarman Supandji last week said there were “no obstacles” to prevent the executions from proceeding.

The bombers have exhausted all legal options, and the Constitutional Court's pending verdict has no direct application to their case.

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21st October 2008

An Indonesian court today acknowledged that three Bali bombers might suffer when they are executed by firing squad, but ruled the method does not (not) amount to torture.

Lawyers for three death-row Bali bombers had asked Indonesia's Constitutional Court to consider if death by firing squad was unconstitutional.

They had argued it was because the men might not die immediately, and it could therefore be deemed torture.

But the court rejected the argument today, saying all execution methods carried some risk that death would not be immediate.

Judge Mohammad Mahfud said the state had sentenced the men to die for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings.

"The pain suffered by the death convicted is a legal consequence related to ... the execution," he said.

"Alternatives of death execution methods other than shooting - like beheading, electricity ... and lethal injection - all create pain. There's no way to guarantee there will be no pain.

"All have a risk of inaccuracy ... that will create suffering, but it's not torture ... under (the constitution).

"With that, the plaintiffs' request ... is not based on law, and must be rejected."

Amrozi, his brother Mukhlas and Imam Samudra are expected to be executed by the end of the year over their roles in the Bali attacks, which killed 202 people including 88 Australians.

The three Islamic militants have drawn out the process for as long as possible, exhausting all legal avenues, despite claiming they are ready to die.

Indonesia's Attorney-General's office is due to announce further details of the executions on Friday, and has said it wants them carried out by the end of the year.

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Three Islamic militants will be shot dead on their prison island early next month for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings.

The bombers will be put to death in "early November" on Nusakambangan Island, off Central Java, where their high-security jail is located, a spokesman for Indonesia's Attorney General's office says.

He also indicated that the Attorney General did not believe there were valid grounds for any further legal appeals by Amrozi, his brother Mukhlas and Imam Samudra.

"Indonesia's Attorney General is stating that the legal efforts in the terrorism criminal case, on behalf of the defendant Amrozi ... and his friends, has been final," spokesman Jasman Pandjaitan said.

"The plan for the death executions ... will be implemented in early November 2008."

He added: "Based on the letter from the minister of law and human rights ... the execution for the death convicted, Imam Samudra and his friends, will be located in Nusakambangan, Cilacap District, by the execution team."

The three men were sentenced to die for playing lead roles in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, which killed 202 people including 88 Australians.

They claim they are ready to die, but that others will take revenge if their executions are carried out.

Meanwhile, their defence lawyers continue to plan ways to stall the executions.

On Thursday, defence lawyer Achmad Kholid said a new appeal against the death sentences would be lodged by the bombers' families, possibly as soon as next week.

But that now seems like a futile exercise, given the position of the Attorney General that legal efforts in the case are "final".

Earlier this week, Indonesia's Constitutional Court rejected a side challenge by the bombers, who claimed that death by firing squad was unconstitutional and amounted to torture.

They said it was cruel and inhumane because they may not die immediately.

But the court reaffirmed the method of execution used in Indonesia, saying no execution method could be guaranteed to be pain-free.

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20th August 2008

The Islamist bombers who killed 202 people on the resort island of Bali in 2002 have exhausted appeals against their death sentences, but they are returning to court to argue that they should be beheaded rather than shot.


The Indonesian government wants to put the three men in front of a firing squad before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins next month. But their lawyers insist that would be inhumane.


The three bombers say they prefer to be beheaded, according to local reports. Their lawyers have suggested lethal injection.



Indonesia’s Constitutional Court has agreed to hear a petition from Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron, who were convicted for the backpack and van bomb attacks on Bali nightclubs.


Gufron, whose alias is Mukhlas, told interrogators that the terrorism plot was organized by Jemaah Islamiah, an Al Qaeda affiliate in Southeast Asia, and funded by Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, then the group’s military commander. Hambali was arrested in 2003 in Thailand carrying a false Spanish passport. He was transferred to U.S. custody and is being held at the naval detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Amrozi was found guilty of buying the van and the potassium chlorate and other ingredients used to make the explosives that were packed into it.
The van exploded in a huge fireball that swept through two Bali nightspots, Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club, full of Australian, American and other foreign tourists, as well as Indonesians.



Imam Samudra was convicted as a lead organizer and Gufron of masterminding the attacks. In the court filing, lawyers from a group called the Muslim Defenders Team insisted that the bombers had “a constitutional right not to be tortured,” and maintained that any delay between being shot and dying would amount to torture.


As an example, they offered the March 10 execution of Muhammad Tubagus Yusuf Maulana, a shaman who duped villagers out of thousands of dollars by convincing them they would reap riches by paying him. He poisoned eight people and buried their bodies.
Maulana died 10 minutes after being shot by a firing squad, even though one member is armed with a pistol to dispatch, with a point-blank shot to the head, anyone who survives the initial volley aimed at the heart.


“This means that the law admits that the prisoner [might] still be alive after he has already been shot, and certainly blood will be all over him, so that he will undergo a very deep torture before he finally dies by the final shot,” the petition said.
Atty. Gen. Hendarman Supandji has said he wants the executions carried out before Ramadan, expected to begin Sept. 1, but the court’s ruling on the petition isn’t expected before then.


The bombers’ legal team conceded that the attorney general has the authority to carry out the executions without waiting for the court’s ruling, but argued that such action would disrespect the constitution.


In anticipation of an execution order, authorities have tightened security around Nusakambangan Island, where the men are imprisoned.
Samudra warned this year that Al Qaeda was “very likely” to retaliate if the bombers are executed, and some terrorism experts and Indonesian commentators maintain that using a firing squad could have the effect of making them martyrs.

Link

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20th August 2008

The Islamist bombers who killed 202 people on the resort island of Bali in 2002 have exhausted appeals against their death sentences, but they are returning to court to argue that they should be beheaded rather than shot.


The Indonesian government wants to put the three men in front of a firing squad before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins next month. But their lawyers insist that would be inhumane.


The three bombers say they prefer to be beheaded, according to local reports. Their lawyers have suggested lethal injection.



Indonesia’s Constitutional Court has agreed to hear a petition from Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron, who were convicted for the backpack and van bomb attacks on Bali nightclubs.


Gufron, whose alias is Mukhlas, told interrogators that the terrorism plot was organized by Jemaah Islamiah, an Al Qaeda affiliate in Southeast Asia, and funded by Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, then the group’s military commander. Hambali was arrested in 2003 in Thailand carrying a false Spanish passport. He was transferred to U.S. custody and is being held at the naval detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Amrozi was found guilty of buying the van and the potassium chlorate and other ingredients used to make the explosives that were packed into it.
The van exploded in a huge fireball that swept through two Bali nightspots, Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club, full of Australian, American and other foreign tourists, as well as Indonesians.



Imam Samudra was convicted as a lead organizer and Gufron of masterminding the attacks. In the court filing, lawyers from a group called the Muslim Defenders Team insisted that the bombers had “a constitutional right not to be tortured,” and maintained that any delay between being shot and dying would amount to torture.


As an example, they offered the March 10 execution of Muhammad Tubagus Yusuf Maulana, a shaman who duped villagers out of thousands of dollars by convincing them they would reap riches by paying him. He poisoned eight people and buried their bodies.
Maulana died 10 minutes after being shot by a firing squad, even though one member is armed with a pistol to dispatch, with a point-blank shot to the head, anyone who survives the initial volley aimed at the heart.


“This means that the law admits that the prisoner [might] still be alive after he has already been shot, and certainly blood will be all over him, so that he will undergo a very deep torture before he finally dies by the final shot,” the petition said.
Atty. Gen. Hendarman Supandji has said he wants the executions carried out before Ramadan, expected to begin Sept. 1, but the court’s ruling on the petition isn’t expected before then.


The bombers’ legal team conceded that the attorney general has the authority to carry out the executions without waiting for the court’s ruling, but argued that such action would disrespect the constitution.


In anticipation of an execution order, authorities have tightened security around Nusakambangan Island, where the men are imprisoned.
Samudra warned this year that Al Qaeda was “very likely” to retaliate if the bombers are executed, and some terrorism experts and Indonesian commentators maintain that using a firing squad could have the effect of making them martyrs.

Link

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ANCHOR: The infamous Bali bombers are awaiting their execution in Indonesia after five years in prison. Their execution was delayed but is now going forward, despite the fact that now is Eid, a holy holiday in Islam. Meanwhile, the bombers still show no remorse for their killing on non-Muslims.

STORY: 
All three have been on death row since 2003, when a Bali court sentenced
them to death for their roles in Bali bombings. This bombings killed 202 people, 
many of them Indonesians and Australians.

When reporters ask Imam Samudra if he was sorry for killing
Westerners and Australians, he said he did not regret killing the Westerners.
[Iman Samudra, Bali Bomber]:
"I have already said in the past year, I am sorry for Muslim only, 
but for a non-believer, it's destined, destined, ok? 
For Australians I'm never sorry. But for Muslim, I'm very, very sorry for him."
Prison guards threw a tight security cordon around them during the media
interviews.
[Mukhlas, Bali Bomber]:
"People like me are ready to kill and if it is Allah's will,
ready to be executed too. I don't care how we die, whether by injection or
beheading, it is all the devil's methods."

The trio are expected to have been executed in September, before the holy fasting
month of Ramadan. But they lodged a legal challenge in August, saying that Indonesia's method of executing convicts by firing squad was inhumane. The three men would prefer an Islamic method of execution by
beheading. But authorities said the execution would go ahead.

There are concerns executing the three men could exacerbate militant
anger in the predominantly Muslim country.
But several analysts have dismissed fears of widespread anger, saying
most Indonesians had little sympathy for the violent methods of the Bali
bombers.

[YOUTUBE]bxa4a82mAbA[/YOUTUBE]

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For the latest news about the Execution date click here
http://www.crimecasefiles.com/forum/....html#post3340

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5th November 2008

Senior Islamic clerics say they have been asked to counsel the three Bali bombers in another sign their executions are imminent.

"We have received a letter from the Cilacap prosecutor's office to send nine clerics to the prison to provide counsel for the trio," said Sahlan Natsir, a member of the local Islamic clerical body near the prison.

The letter did not specify when the clerics would be asked to visit the bombers - Imam Samudra, 38, Amrozi, 47, and his brother Mukhlas, 48 - who have been in isolation awaiting execution since Friday.

Prosecutors have said only that the executions will be carried out by firing squad in "early November".

The bombings of packed nightspots on the resort island of Bali in 2002 killed 202 people including 88 Australians.

Security has been tightened across the mainly Muslim archipelago amid fears of revenge attacks from Islamic extremists and the Jemaah Islamiah regional militant network that allegedly instigated the Bali carnage.

Additional security has been given to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after a threat to his life in the form of a letter purportedly penned by the bombers and posted on an Islamist website.

The letter dated August urges Islamic militants to "war against and kill" Yudhoyono and other senior officials in retaliation for the executions.

The Australian and United States embassies were the target of anonymous bomb threats sent to police by text message yesterday. Searches of the heavily guarded embassy compounds failed to find any bombs.

Police earlier this week extended a no-go zone around Cilacap port connecting Java to the high-security Nusakambangan prison island off southern Java where the bombers are being held.

Prison chief Bambang Winahyo has said the bombers appear to be calm and ready to die. They are reportedly impatient to become "martyrs" for the Islamic utopia they dream of creating across South-East Asia.

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7th November 2008



The Bali bombers are counting down the hours to their executions, with speculation rife they will be killed this morning.


Reports from Indonesia say the condemned men have undergone final medical checks in a strong indication the firing-squad executions are close, while the mother of Imam Samudra has reportedly received the official paperwork that precedes executions.


And yesterday, all workers not directly employed at the bombers' prison on the prison island of Nusakambangan were ordered to leave in a potential sign the executions are imminent.


However, there are also reports the executions will not take place today because it is the Muslim prayer day.


Meanwhile, Islamic militants, warning the executions will create "a million Amrozis", are pouring into Tenggulun, arriving in convoys of motorcycles and chanting anti-Western slogans.


The build-up of militants in the home village of Amrozi and Mukhlas - two of the three Bali bombers on death row - comes as the men's families launched a last-ditch bid to see them before they are executed. They wrote to the President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and staged a noisy rally in Jakarta to press their demands.


Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra - sentenced to death for their role in the attacks on Bali's nightclub strip that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians - will face a firing squad.


Several dates for the execution have been agreed then abandoned, with the Attorney-General only confirming publicly they would die in "early November". Bad weather, security concerns and political considerations have reportedly been behind the delays.


Certainly, the increasingly volatile situation in Tenggulun is a worry for authorities, who are promising a big turnout of armed officers when the bodies of Amrozi and Mukhlas are brought in by helicopter after their deaths and funeral services are held.


Abu Bakar Bashir - the co-founder of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah - says he will attend the funerals and Amrozi's family want him to deliver a sermon at the mosque.


Ali Fauzi, the half-brother of Mukhlas and Amrozi, told the Herald the bombers wanted their bodies placed in the village mosque so people could pay their respects and then taken to the local Islamic school for another ceremony before being buried.


As well as Bashir's followers in Tenggulun, there are large numbers of cadres from the Islamic Defenders Front, a group known for its willingness to resort to violence.


Yesterday Mukhlas's wife, Farida, arrived in the village from Malaysia.
She is demanding to see her husband while the mother of Imam Samudra, Paredah, wrote to Dr Yudhoyono, also asking for visitation rights.


They received support from one of Indonesia's more progressive institutions, the human rights body Komnas Ham.


Its chief, Ifdhal Kasim, said the prisoners had a right to meet their families before they faced the firing squad. "A prisoner awaiting execution must be given a chance to meet their families," he said.


He vowed to take up the matter with the prosecutor's office.
But the clock is ticking to the executions. Late on Wednesday construction workers were ordered off Nusakambangan and told not to return until Monday. This was seen as an indication the execution would occur between today and Monday.