Bali bomb mastermind Samudra loses appeal<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Makassar\/Denpasar<\/p>\n
Imam Samudra, the mastermind behind the Bali bombings that killed
\n202 people last year, has lost his appeal, a court official said
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
Samudra was the second terrorist to be sentenced to death
\nwhose appeal was turned down by the Bali High Court, after Amrozi
\nbin Nurhasyim.<\/p>\n
Bali High Court head I Made Tara was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying the court had turned down the appeals of Samudra and 10
\nother convicted terrorists who sought reduced sentences.<\/p>\n
The 10 included Amrozi, Abdul Rauf, Andri Octavia, Junaedi,
\nAndi Hidayat, Bambang Setiono and Ahmad Budi Wibowo, all
\nsentenced by the Denpasar District Court.<\/p>\n
Tara said the High Court will soon notify the District Court
\nand the defendants' lawyers of the decision.<\/p>\n
The District Court has handed down verdicts to 29 men linked
\nto the Oct. 12 bombings. Tara said 15 of these had appealed.<\/p>\n
It was not clear whether Samudra and others would file an
\nappeal with the Supreme Court, as Amrozi has done.<\/p>\n
Samudra, 33, was found guilty of being a leader in the al-
\nQaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group blamed for the
\nbombings.<\/p>\n
He had said with fervor that he welcomed death, as it would
\nbring him closer to God. But when he was sentenced on Sept. 10,
\nhis lawyers said he would appeal, because he should have been
\ntried under Islamic law.<\/p>\n
Amrozi's brother, Mukhlas, has also said he will appeal his
\ndeath sentence. Ali Imron, another brother, was given life -- he
\nwas the only key bomber to have expressed any remorse.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Imron testified in the trial of Abdul Ghoni, who
\ncould face a firing squad if found guilty of helping to plan the
\nattacks and assemble the bombs, and of possessing explosives.<\/p>\n
Imron revised statements he made in earlier hearings, saying
\nhe had mistakenly said the bombers were given their tasks during
\na meeting at the home of Hernianto in Surakarta, Central Java.<\/p>\n
He was quoted by AFP as saying he now remembered that the
\nmeeting was held at a house rented by Dulmatin, a key suspect
\nstill at large.<\/p>\n
In a separate trial on Monday, Sarjiyo, alias Sawad, another
\ndefendant, admitted that he acquired the bomb-making skills
\nbecause he once made firecrackers.<\/p>\n
Imron also testified against Sarjiyo and told the court the
\ndefendant had acquired his bomb-making skills while a student.<\/p>\n
"The defendant told me he graduated with a science major from
\nhigh school. He also used to make firecrackers," he testified.<\/p>\n
He said their relationship became close when Sarjiyo married
\nTri Indah, a student at his Islamic boarding school.<\/p>\n
Imron confirmed that Sarjiyo had never been involved in any
\nplanning nor execution meetings for the attacks.<\/p>\n
Separately, prosecutors in South Sulawesi sought 20 years for
\nArman, alias Galaxi, 31, who is on trial for providing explosives
\nto militants who bombed a McDonald's restaurant on Dec. 5, 2002,
\nin Makassar.<\/p>\n
Police also blame the Makassar attack on JI.<\/p>\n
Three people, including the bomber, were killed in the attack,
\nwhile a second bombing damaged a car showroom shortly afterwards
\nbut caused no casualties.<\/p>\n
Several men have been arrested for their role in the blasts,
\nbut key suspect Agung Abdul Hamid is still at large.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-bomb-mastermind-samudra-loses-appeal-1447893297",
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