WOCKNER
October 21, 2008 06:30pm
INDONESIA has vowed to execute the Bali bombers by December, not the end of this week as speculated, after yet another domestic legal appeal failed today.
The three men lost their latest bid to avoid a firing squad when Indonesia's Constitutional Court ruled unanimously the execution would not be torture, and thus not against their human rights.
However, lawyers for the three, Amrosi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra, immediately announced plans for at least two more appeals.
Indonesian Attorney-General Hendarman Supandji said he would reveal the month of their execution on Friday, saying the bombers would be dead by the end of 2008.
His comments defy predictions the executions themselves would take place this week, based on the theory Friday's, already foreshadowed statement by Mr Hendarman would be to announce they were dead.
Today's court decision would not have technically stopped the executions but does clear one more legal hurdle.
Neither Amrosi, Mukhlas nor Imam Samudra were not at court for the decision but their bitterly disappointed lawyers vowed to continue fighting on their behalf, possibly taking the case to the International Court of Justice.
The bombers had argued the firing squad wascruel and inhumane because prisoners can take up to seven minutes to die after the shots are fired.
But nine judges today found that was not torture as defined under Indonesia's constitution.
"It is not included in the category of torture as stated in Chapter 28 of the Constitution ... the material challenge is not reasonable according to the law and has to be rejected," their judgement said.
Lawyer for the bombers Wirawan Adnan said he would now recommend the their families lodge their own judicial review appeal against the convictions.
He said the bombers would probably not be surprised by today's decision.