BALI BOMBERS -- FURTHER DISCUSSION OF EXECUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001415 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, INL FOR BARCLAY/BOULDIN/BUHLER DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA SOLOMON NCTC WASHDC NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2018 TAGS: PGOV KJUS PTER ID SUBJECT: BALI BOMBERS -- FURTHER DISCUSSION OF EXECUTION TIMEFRAME REF: JAKARTA 1383 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesian Attorney General Hendarman Supandji publicly stated on July 21 that the three Bali bombers have exhausted all legal recourse and could be executed "at any time." Mission has also picked up other information indicating that the execution timeframe may be sooner rather than later. That said, this case has had many twists and turns, and it is still quite possible that the executions could be postponed further. END SUMMARY. ATTORNEY GENERAL'S REMARKS ¶2. (U) The GOI is giving strong indications re the execution timeframe of the Bali bombers. (Note: The three terrorists are on death row, incarcerated on an island prison located off of Central Java. They were given death sentences for their roles in the October 2002 Bali bombing.) Indonesian Attorney General Hendarman Supandji publicly stated on July 21 that the three bombers have exhausted all legal recourse. Supandji remarked that the government could execute the three terrorists "at any time" after his office receives a hard copy of the Supreme Court's ruling rejecting the bombers' latest appeal. That document was on his way to his office now, he said. He went to indicate that the executions might happen before the onset of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan, which begins on September 1. ¶3. (C) When Mission asked about the remarks, a contact at the Attorney General's Office confirmed the Attorney General's comments. He did not go into further details. OTHER COMMENTS ON TIMEFRAME ¶4. (C) There are other indications that the timeframe might be sooner rather than later. A lawyer for the bombers recently told Mission's court reporter (please strictly protect) that the Attorney General's Office had indicated to the defense team that the executions could happen "soon." The lawyer had no further comment. ¶5. (C) In a July 22 meeting with Pol/C, a key official at an influential ministry also said that the timeframe could be the near-term. Ambassador Albert Matondang of the Coordinating Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs was emphatic that the executions could happen "soon," though not necessarily imminently. Echoing public comments by the Attorney General, he underlined that the terrorists had no "legal recourse left" and stated that "the wheels of justice were moving." He categorically denied that there was any intention of postponing matters for political reasons. He noted that there had been a slew of executions in Indonesia lately, indicating that these were meant "to socialize" the Indonesian people to what would happen to the bombers. SOONER RATHER THAN LATER? ¶6. (C) Some of our contacts had speculated that the Indonesian government might want to try to postpone the executions for as long as possible in order to avoid any potential political backlash in the coming election year. Based on all these soundings, however, it seems that the GOI JAKARTA 00001415 002 OF 002 could well execute the three in the near-term. That said, the whole situation is still up in the air--the three terrorists, for example, could suddenly change their minds and request a clemency review, which could drag out the process months more. HUME