Indonesian deserves death, mufti says

Indonesian deserves death, mufti says

An Egyptian religious leader has refused to intervene on behalf
of Indonesian Ali Darman Agustri, who faces the death penalty in
Egypt for multiple murder and robbery.

Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Bachtiar Aly quoted Grand Mufti
Syeikh Ali Goumah, the head of the Assembly of Darul Ifta as
saying that the assembly had no legal authority to cancel the
verdict unless it was not decided according to the correct legal
procedure.

"In Egyptian positive law, the Assembly of Darul Ifta is a
consultative body, in which the court can ask for mufti's
opinion, whether a verdict is decided according to Sharia
(Islamic law)," the mufti told Bachtiar in a letter.

Bachtiar told Antara in Cairo on Saturday that the Indonesian
government had tried to approach related institutions to ask for
assistance, but the result remained to be seen.

The Assembly is an influential religious institution that
issues fatwas. The grand mufti's rules can sometimes overrule
criminal courts.

The speaker of the Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly
Hidayat Nurwahid also tried to meet with Syeikh Ali Goumah when
the former visited Cairo in April, but the mufti was not
available for the meeting.

Thirty-five year old Ali Darman was found guilty of killing a
Malaysian family of four identified as Muhammad Zaki Ayyub, 27,
Muhammad's wife Nur Hayati Bukhari, 27, their daughter Maryam,
three, and their son Muaz, 11 months.

Ali Darman also robbed the victims of 40 million Egyptian
pounds (US$6.9 million) and burned down the family's house to
destroy the evidence.

The Abbsea State Court in East Cairo sentenced Ali Darman to
death on April 6. The sentence was then approved by the mufti.

"Based on Islamic law, Ali Darman has been declared guilty of
the murder of four persons and therefore the death sentence is
the most suitable verdict for him," the mufti said in the trial.

Bachtiar said that Indonesian government would appeal to the
Egyptian court of appeal. -- JP