Prosecutors demand death sentence for Bali bombing planner

Prosecutors today demanded the death sentence for an Islamic militant accused of planning and financing last year’s bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali in which 202 people died.

Ali Ghufron, a 43-year-old religious teacher, has admitted to playing a key role in the attacks, which devastated two packed nightclubs on October 12.

“It has been proven that the accused planned an act of terrorism that caused massive casualties,” prosecutor Putu Indriyati said. “We ask judges to sentence him to death.”

Ghufron sighed deeply and raised his hands in prayer after the sentencing demand was read out.

About two dozen people in the courtroom, several of them relatives of foreign victims, applauded.

Most of the dead were foreign holidaymakers, including 26 British. The blasts were the deadliest terrorist atrocity in the world since the September 11 attacks in the US.

Executions are by firing squad in Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim population.

Under Indonesian criminal court procedures, prosecutors make sentencing recommendations to judges before they hand down a verdict, which in this case is expected sometime in the coming weeks.

The prosecutors said Ghufron headed several planning meetings and issued instructions to the bombing team.

As a religious teacher, he also gave counselling sessions to prepare the bombers for the attack and provided funds to buy explosives, they said.

On August 7, the tribunal convicted and sentenced Amrozi bin Nurhasyim – the first of more than 30 suspects to face trial – to death. He is appealing that verdict.

The alleged mastermind of the blast, Imam Samudra, whose verdict is due to be announced September 10, also faces execution if found guilty.

Authorities have arrested more than 30 suspects in the case. Police say they worked for the al Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror group.

Police say Jemaah Islamiyah also carried out a recent suicide bombing of the Marriott hotel in Jakarta on August 5 that killed 12 people and injured almost 150. Nine suspects in the attack are in police custody.

Hambali Riduan Isamuddin, an Indonesian accused of being the group’s operational chief and a direct liaison to al Qaida, was arrested two weeks ago in Thailand and handed over to US custody.

Indonesian authorities are seeking access to Hambali, whose whereabouts are unknown.

The Bali suspects have said they carried out the attack to avenge the treatment of Muslims in Afghanistan and in the Palestinian territories by the US and its allies.