Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA1587
2008-08-21 07:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
BALI BOMBERS -- FURTHER DELAY IN EXECUTIONS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001587
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, INL FOR
BARCLAY/ROSS/BUHLER
DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR
LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN
DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE
FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA ROTH
NCTC WASHDC
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC ID AS
SUBJECT: BALI BOMBERS -- FURTHER DELAY IN EXECUTIONS
REF: A. JAKARTA 1582
B. JAKARTA 1573 AND PREVIOUS
JAKARTA 00001587 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001587
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, INL FOR
BARCLAY/ROSS/BUHLER
DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR
LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN
DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE
FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA ROTH
NCTC WASHDC
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC ID AS
SUBJECT: BALI BOMBERS -- FURTHER DELAY IN EXECUTIONS
REF: A. JAKARTA 1582
B. JAKARTA 1573 AND PREVIOUS
JAKARTA 00001587 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The Indonesian Attorney General has stated
that the executions of the Bali bombers will probably be
delayed at least until after the Islamic fasting month of
Ramadan concludes in October. In the meantime, the
Constitutional Court continues to review a last-ditch appeal
by the terrorists. The bombers have also issued a rambling
letter saying they are prepared to die as "martyrs." At this
point, the executions could still happen at any time, but a
reading of the tea leaves indicates that a delay is in store.
END SUMMARY.
EXECUTIONS PROBABLY DELAYED
2. (SBU) The latest news re the Bali bombers points to a
delay in their executions. (Note: The three bombers were
convicted of the terrorist bombings that killed over 200
people and injured and maimed dozens in October 2002.) On
August 20, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji announced that
the executions of the bombers would most likely not be
carried out before September 1, the beginning of the Muslim
holy month of Ramadan, due to delays in legal "paperwork."
3. (U) Before the executions could take place, he explained,
his office needed to receive a formal letter from the Supreme
Court confirming that the three terrorists, Amrozi (one name
only),Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron, had exhausted all means
of appeal. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has yet to
receive that letter and this was delaying matters. The
Attorney General added that he had previously thought that
the executions could be carried out before September (as
reported in ref b),but this now looks highly unlikely.
4. (C) Contacts have told us that they are not sure when the
executions might occur. Priyo Waseso, a staff member of the
Chief of the Indonesian police, told poloff that he did not
have any further information. Another contact told us that
the executions could occur "at any time" but it seemed more
likely to occur "later this year." We spoke to the
Australian Embassy and they did not have any further
information on the time-line.
PRESSING AN APPEAL
5. (U) In the meantime, the Bali bombers are pressing a
last-ditch appeal. Their attorneys wrote to the AGO on
August 19 and requested that the executions be delayed until
the Constitutional Court could review their appeal (reftel).
The appeal claims that execution by firing squad, the legal
form of execution in Indonesia, is "torture" and therefore
unconstitutional. The bombers requested that they be
beheaded instead per their view that this was more in line
with Islamic precepts.
6. (SBU) For its part, the Constitutional Court has not
announced whether it will accept the appeal. Our contact at
the Australian Embassy suggested that the Court may be in a
bit of a confused mode right now because of its recent change
in leadership and that it may only begin a review of the
matter next week. (Note: The Court selected a new Chief
Judge on August 19 -- see ref a.)
JAKARTA 00001587 002.2 OF 002
A LETTER FROM THE TERRORISTS
7. (U) Although the lawyers for the three terrorists
continue to use legal maneuvers to delay the executions, the
Bali bombers themselves recently stated that they are eager
to die as "martyrs." In a confusing, rambling letter
released to the press, the three--who are incarcerated in a
maximum security prison--explained that dying a "martyr's
death" was their "wish and dream," and that if the executions
were carried out by "infidels, hypocrites, and apostates"
then their wishes had been fulfilled.
READING THE TEA LEAVES
8. (C) At this point, the executions could still happen at
any time, but a reading of the tea leaves indicates that a
delay is in store. Their appeal to the Constitutional Court
appears to have successfully delayed matters further. The
letter from the terrorists conforms to the totally
unrepentant line they have taken ever since their arrest and
trial.
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, INL FOR
BARCLAY/ROSS/BUHLER
DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR
LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN
DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE
FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA ROTH
NCTC WASHDC
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC ID AS
SUBJECT: BALI BOMBERS -- FURTHER DELAY IN EXECUTIONS
REF: A. JAKARTA 1582
B. JAKARTA 1573 AND PREVIOUS
JAKARTA 00001587 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The Indonesian Attorney General has stated
that the executions of the Bali bombers will probably be
delayed at least until after the Islamic fasting month of
Ramadan concludes in October. In the meantime, the
Constitutional Court continues to review a last-ditch appeal
by the terrorists. The bombers have also issued a rambling
letter saying they are prepared to die as "martyrs." At this
point, the executions could still happen at any time, but a
reading of the tea leaves indicates that a delay is in store.
END SUMMARY.
EXECUTIONS PROBABLY DELAYED
2. (SBU) The latest news re the Bali bombers points to a
delay in their executions. (Note: The three bombers were
convicted of the terrorist bombings that killed over 200
people and injured and maimed dozens in October 2002.) On
August 20, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji announced that
the executions of the bombers would most likely not be
carried out before September 1, the beginning of the Muslim
holy month of Ramadan, due to delays in legal "paperwork."
3. (U) Before the executions could take place, he explained,
his office needed to receive a formal letter from the Supreme
Court confirming that the three terrorists, Amrozi (one name
only),Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron, had exhausted all means
of appeal. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has yet to
receive that letter and this was delaying matters. The
Attorney General added that he had previously thought that
the executions could be carried out before September (as
reported in ref b),but this now looks highly unlikely.
4. (C) Contacts have told us that they are not sure when the
executions might occur. Priyo Waseso, a staff member of the
Chief of the Indonesian police, told poloff that he did not
have any further information. Another contact told us that
the executions could occur "at any time" but it seemed more
likely to occur "later this year." We spoke to the
Australian Embassy and they did not have any further
information on the time-line.
PRESSING AN APPEAL
5. (U) In the meantime, the Bali bombers are pressing a
last-ditch appeal. Their attorneys wrote to the AGO on
August 19 and requested that the executions be delayed until
the Constitutional Court could review their appeal (reftel).
The appeal claims that execution by firing squad, the legal
form of execution in Indonesia, is "torture" and therefore
unconstitutional. The bombers requested that they be
beheaded instead per their view that this was more in line
with Islamic precepts.
6. (SBU) For its part, the Constitutional Court has not
announced whether it will accept the appeal. Our contact at
the Australian Embassy suggested that the Court may be in a
bit of a confused mode right now because of its recent change
in leadership and that it may only begin a review of the
matter next week. (Note: The Court selected a new Chief
Judge on August 19 -- see ref a.)
JAKARTA 00001587 002.2 OF 002
A LETTER FROM THE TERRORISTS
7. (U) Although the lawyers for the three terrorists
continue to use legal maneuvers to delay the executions, the
Bali bombers themselves recently stated that they are eager
to die as "martyrs." In a confusing, rambling letter
released to the press, the three--who are incarcerated in a
maximum security prison--explained that dying a "martyr's
death" was their "wish and dream," and that if the executions
were carried out by "infidels, hypocrites, and apostates"
then their wishes had been fulfilled.
READING THE TEA LEAVES
8. (C) At this point, the executions could still happen at
any time, but a reading of the tea leaves indicates that a
delay is in store. Their appeal to the Constitutional Court
appears to have successfully delayed matters further. The
letter from the terrorists conforms to the totally
unrepentant line they have taken ever since their arrest and
trial.
HUME