Dian Kuswandini and Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Cilacap
| Fri, 08/01/2008 11:54 AM | National
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) said Thursday it would go ahead with its plan to execute three convicted Bali bombers, despite their lawyers claiming the move would be illegal because of a lack of proper documents.
AGO spokesperson B.D. Nainggolan insisted the execution of Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, Ali Ghufron and Imam Samudra was legal, based on the Supreme Court's decision to reject the bombers' first appeal.
"The court's decision to reject their first appeal is enough for the AGO to carry out the executions," he said.
The men's defense team claimed the AGO should not execute the three because there was no official document of the court's verdict on their final appeal. The lawyers submitted three appeals.
However, Nainggolan said the law allowed convicts and their lawyers to appeal for a case review only once.
"The AGO does not have to wait for the final verdict because their second and third appeals are not valid in the first place," he said.
Nainggolan denied accusations the AGO was pushing ahead with the executions as "revenge" against the bombers.
"We are only doing what the court ordered us to do. The court decision is legally binding and we must abide by it," he said.
In Cilacap, Central Java, the local district court said Thursday it had received a letter from the Supreme Court on the final decision to reject the bombers' third plea.
"We will forward the letter to the convicts, who are currently in custody at Nusa Kambangan prison," court head Manahan M.P. Sitompul said.
He said the court would later inform the men all the paperwork was complete and it would just be a matter of time before the bombers were executed.
Defense lawyer Fahmi Bahmid said the bombers' families would file a lawsuit against the AGO if the executions were carried out in spite of the "unclear status" of their clients' legal process.
"It would be premeditated murder, not execution. Our clients never received notice or copy of the court verdict rejecting their pleas," Fahmi said after a meeting with AGO prosecutors on Thursday.
"The AGO promised to give us an explanation next Monday."
Last month, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said the three men would be executed before the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan in September.
The National Police has already prepared a firing squad to carry out the executions.
A team from the Bali Prosecutor's Office visited the prison four days ago to check on preparations and the location for the executions.
In 2003, Amrozi, Imam and Ali were sentenced to death for planning and carrying out the 2002 bomb blasts at two packed nightclubs in Bali, which killed 202 people, including 88 Australian tourists.
| Fri, 08/01/2008 11:54 AM | National
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) said Thursday it would go ahead with its plan to execute three convicted Bali bombers, despite their lawyers claiming the move would be illegal because of a lack of proper documents.
AGO spokesperson B.D. Nainggolan insisted the execution of Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, Ali Ghufron and Imam Samudra was legal, based on the Supreme Court's decision to reject the bombers' first appeal.
"The court's decision to reject their first appeal is enough for the AGO to carry out the executions," he said.
The men's defense team claimed the AGO should not execute the three because there was no official document of the court's verdict on their final appeal. The lawyers submitted three appeals.
However, Nainggolan said the law allowed convicts and their lawyers to appeal for a case review only once.
"The AGO does not have to wait for the final verdict because their second and third appeals are not valid in the first place," he said.
Nainggolan denied accusations the AGO was pushing ahead with the executions as "revenge" against the bombers.
"We are only doing what the court ordered us to do. The court decision is legally binding and we must abide by it," he said.
In Cilacap, Central Java, the local district court said Thursday it had received a letter from the Supreme Court on the final decision to reject the bombers' third plea.
"We will forward the letter to the convicts, who are currently in custody at Nusa Kambangan prison," court head Manahan M.P. Sitompul said.
He said the court would later inform the men all the paperwork was complete and it would just be a matter of time before the bombers were executed.
Defense lawyer Fahmi Bahmid said the bombers' families would file a lawsuit against the AGO if the executions were carried out in spite of the "unclear status" of their clients' legal process.
"It would be premeditated murder, not execution. Our clients never received notice or copy of the court verdict rejecting their pleas," Fahmi said after a meeting with AGO prosecutors on Thursday.
"The AGO promised to give us an explanation next Monday."
Last month, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said the three men would be executed before the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan in September.
The National Police has already prepared a firing squad to carry out the executions.
A team from the Bali Prosecutor's Office visited the prison four days ago to check on preparations and the location for the executions.
In 2003, Amrozi, Imam and Ali were sentenced to death for planning and carrying out the 2002 bomb blasts at two packed nightclubs in Bali, which killed 202 people, including 88 Australian tourists.
