Review sought for Sumiasih case

Review sought for Sumiasih case

JAKARTA: The Surabaya District Court in East Java filed on
Monday a petition for a Supreme Court review of Sumiasih, who is
on death row.

The court decided to proceed with the request after a hearing
with the defendant's lawyers, who presented new evidence that
Sumiasih's appeal in 2000 had not yet been processed by the
Supreme Court.

"It is clear that Sumiasih's request to have his sentence
reduced was not handled properly," Sumiasih's lawyer Soetedja
Djajasasmita said.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri decided to turn down the
appeals of several people on death row last year, including
Sumiasih, who was sentenced to death for murder.

Since then, most defendants have been trying to have his or
her case reviewed as a last ditch effort to avoid capital
punishment.--Antara