INDONESIA: Men accused of masterminding 2005 Bali bombings say they are ready to face the death sentence

Record ID: 351983

  • Title: INDONESIA: Men accused of masterminding 2005 Bali bombings say they are ready to face the death sentence
  • Date: 16th March 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) ANIF SOLCHANUDIN, SUSPECT SAYING: "I apologise to the Muslim people who had fallen victim to the bombings because our ultimate goal were those Americans whom we despise"
  • Embargoed: 31st March 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVA830WBK12OUCKYK6YWIEB85Z1Q
  • Story Text: Men accused of masterminding last year's Bali bombings, on Wednesday (March 15) said they were ready to face the death sentence as prosecutors started preparing charges against them.
    The three suspects made the statements as police transferred them to the state prosecutors office in Bali, marking the start of the charge drafting process.
    "I'm ready to die. It's our fate to die," said Abdul Aziz, 30, adding he had met the country's most wanted militant Noordin M Top several months before the bombings took place in Bali in October 2005.
    Top is blamed for helping mastermind a series of bombings in Indonesia in recent years, including the October 2005 Bali attacks carried out by three suicide bombers with backpacks. Indonesian police have named several suspects for assisting the attacks, which killed 20 people in addition to the three bombers.
    The other two suspects, Anif Solchanudin, 24, and Mohammad Cholily, 28, voiced similar statements.
    Solchanudin said his only regret was that Muslims were among the casualties.
    Aziz conceded to helping hide Malaysian-born Top who worked closely with fellow Malaysian Azahari Husin. Azahari was killed in a police raid on his East Java hideout in November while Top eluded capture. He also helped create the website used to organise the bombings.
    All of the suspects had been detained by police under anti-terror laws which carry a maximum penalty of death.
    The state prosecutor's office said on Wednesday that they have up to two months to prepare the indictments.
    Police have been conducting a nationwide manhunt for Malaysian Top, a senior member of Jemaah Islamiah, a shadowy militant group seen as the Southeast Asian arm of al Qaeda.
    Since October 2002 nightclub bombings on Bali, which killed 202 people, Indonesian police have arrested hundreds of Islamic militants and convicted scores on terrorism charges.
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