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Bali bombers ready to die

Source
Agence France Presse - October 8, 2007

Jakarta – The three Bali bombers on death row in Indonesia are ready to face their imminent execution, a report said here Monday.

"This is the happiest period for us, because we are soon to die as martyrs," Ali Ghufron, the eldest of three bombers, told the Koran Tempo daily from his jail off the southern coast of Java island.

Ghufron, 47, his younger brother Amrozi and another man, Iman Samudra, were convicted of the nightclub bombings on the resort isle in 2002 that killed 202 people. The attacks were blamed on the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant network linked to Al-Qaeda.

Indonesia's Supreme Court in August rejected their appeal and the men have been quoted as saying they would not seek clemency from the president, their last avenue of appeal.

Achmad Michdan, one of their lawyers, could not be immediately reached for confirmation the three had waived their rights to demand a presidential pardon.

No date has been released for the executions, which could take place at any time and are expected to be carried out by firing squad.

Last month, the three men signed a final statement reported to read: "If we are executed, then the jets and drops of our blood will, God willing, become a ray of light for Muslims and become hell for infidels and hypocrites."

The statement also said that they would continue to engage in jihad – holy war – if they were pardoned and released from prison.

Indonesian courts have issued three death sentences, two life sentences and more than 30 other long jail terms for people involved in the Bali attacks or for helping hide the key players when they were on the run.

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