Indonesia's Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence on the first Muslim militant convicted over the Bali nightclub bombings, which killed 202 people.
"In our decision, the court rejected the appeal submitted by the defendant Amrozi," Toton Suprapto, chief judge on the bench that heard the appeal, said yesterday, adding the decisions by two lower courts had been correct.
The Supreme Court decision, handed down on Tuesday, is its first over the Bali bombings. It comes only five months after a lower court convicted Amrozi, indicating Indonesia's normally slow legal system is processing the Bali appeals promptly.
More than two dozen Indonesian militants have been convicted over involvement in the October 2002 Bali bombings. Most have appealed but lower courts have yet to overturn a conviction.
Amrozi was sentenced to death by firing squad by a lower court for playing a key role in an atrocity that raised concern over radical Islam in the world's most populous Muslim nation.
His lawyers said they had not seen the Supreme Court decision.
One lawyer, Wirawan Adnan, said Amrozi's legal team would seek a judicial review, something allowed in Indonesia provided fresh evidence is presented to a court. Another option would be to seek presidential clemency, he said.
"I am interested in the courage of the attorney general. Will he execute Amrozi or not?" Adnan said.
Amrozi, dubbed the "smiling bomber" for his chilling grin and expressions of delight at the Bali carnage, had said during his trial he welcomed the death penalty.
Two other key defendants were also sentenced to death.
The bombings were blamed on Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian militant group with links to the al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden. The blasts were the worst act of terror since the Sept. 11 attacks on the US.
Jemaah has also been blamed for a bomb attack at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta last August which killed 12 people.
Since becoming president in 2001, Megawati Sukarnoputri has rejected clemency appeals from people on death row for crimes ranging from murder to involvement in the drugs trade.
Amrozi was convicted of helping plot, organize and carry out the Bali attacks.
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