JP/2/AMRO

'Smiling bomber' Amrozi gets death sentence

Wahyoe Boediwardhana The Jakarta Post Denpasar, Bali

Denpasar District Court sentenced on Thursday Amrozi bin Nurhasyim to death for planning and executing the Bali bombings last October, the first of 29 suspects to be convicted in the terror attacks.

In their 315-page verdict, the five-member panel of judges said Amrozi was convincingly proven guilty of committing terror attacks along with other suspects, who are currently either on trial or under investigation.

The judges said that under the antiterrorism law, Amrozi was proven to have deliberately committed violence against humanity, which caused the loss of 202 lives and wounded hundreds of others.

"More than that, the terror attack also had a significant impact on the social, economic and political situation in Bali and in Indonesia in general," the verdict said.

It took the judges seven-and-a-half hours to read the verdict during the hearing, presided over by I Made Karna Putra.

Eager to hear the verdict on Amrozi, hundreds of local and international journalists, families and relatives of bombing victims, representatives of foreign diplomats, as well as ordinary people, packed the courtroom.

Jamaluddin, or Lalu, one of Amrozi's brothers from his birthplace in Lamongan, East Java, tried in vain to enter the courtroom. Police denied Jamaludin access as he failed to produce a pass. The police had noticed Lalu among the journalists.

Upon hearing the verdict, Amrozi gave a big smile and displayed two thumbs-up to court attendants. When facing spectators and TV cameras in particular, Amrozi clenched his fist and shouted "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (God the Almighty),"

Some of the court attendants showed signs of relief. Many of them clapped their hands, praising the judges' verdict against Amrozi.

Since the session began at 9 a.m in the morning, Amrozi, wearing his regular white Muslim garments plus sandals, appeared to be trying to hide his feelings. Sometimes, he looked bored and played with his hat or fidgeted. At other times, he caressed his beard while listening to the judges reading the verdict. He maintained a smile on his nervous face.

One of the victims, I Dewa Ketut Widiaputra, who was very badly burned and hospitalized in Australia, could not avoid expressing his delight.

"I am very satisfied to know that Amrozi is sentenced to death. We now await his execution," he said after hearing the verdict.

Amrozi's lawyers decided that they would appeal against the verdict. "We are still considering doing so within the next two or three days," Fahmi Bachmid said. The appeal would be based on numerous legal considerations used by the judges, which, he said, did not justify the verdict.

"I think that many legal considerations were neither relevant nor lawful, especially with regard to the antiterrorism law," the lawyer said.

Bachmi added that the decision to appeal came from Amrozi.

The lawyer said they would question the legal foundation on which the judge based the verdict. "The law on terrorism cannot be used as the legal basis, as it was issued after the bombing," Bachmi said, regardless of the fact that the law is retroactive in dealing with gross crimes against humanity.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Muhamad Salim viewed the verdict as fair and justified. He considered that the judgment reflected the Indonesian government's seriousness in dealing with terrorism.

"We are the first Southeast Asian country to have successfully taken a terrorist suspect to court and issued a verdict," exclaimed the prosecutor.

Amrozi's trial started in May 2003. Under the Indonesian legal system, many have perceived Amrozi's trial as being fast and effective amid criticism that the Indonesian judicial system is notorious for its corruption and ineffectiveness.

The panel of judges gave Amrozi's lawyers seven days to present their appeal.