Government wants Amrozi's appeal denied

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 09/11/2008 5:01 PM  |  National

Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalatta has asked the Constitutional Court to deny Bali bomber Amrozi bin Nurhasyim's request for a judicial review over the law on the death penalty.

Andi said the government disagreed with Amrozi, who said death by shooting was torture.

"Pain during death penalty execution should not be considered as torture, but a logical consequence of execution," said the minister after meeting with judges at the Constitutional Court on Thursday.

The law states that the execution requires a shot to the convict's heart, the minister said. He said nobody except dead convicts could tell whether such shot was painful.

"Are death by hanging, decapitation or electric chair better?" he added.

Three terrorists -- Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron -- were sentenced to death in 2003 for masterminding the 2002 bombings in Kuta, Bali, that killed 202 people, including 88 Australian tourists.

The convicts have filed for a judicial review to cancel the execution law. Their lawyer, Wirawan Adnan, said they did not see the shooting execution pain as a problem, but still considered that it was a torture.

"There's a ten-minute gap between the shot and when the convict is dead," Wirawan said. The convicts demand that they be given options for the death penalty.

Constitutional Judge Maruarar Siahaan, however, said more explanation about the execution was needed. He said that both sides, the convicts and the government, should give clear definition what was meant by physical pain. (dre)

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