Court: Bali Bombers' Death by Firing Squad Painful, But Constitutional

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia's constitution does not prohibit death by firing squad, a top court ruled Tuesday, clearing the way for the execution of three men convicted in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings.

The nation's Constitutional Court dismissed the men's request for a traditional Islamic-style beheading and claims by their defense lawyers that being shot to death is less inhumane.

"There is no method of execution without pain," said presiding Judge Mohammad Mahfud, outlining the decision.

The defendant's suffering is a logical consequence of the death penalty under Indonesian law and "cannot be categorized as torturing the convict," the nine judge panel concluded.

The October 2002 Bali nightclub bombings killed 202 people, 88 of them Australian tourists.

Convicts Amrozi Nurhasyim, Ali Gufron and Imam Samudra have exhausted all appeals and are expected to be executed this year. They have shown no remorse and said their deaths would be avenged.

The bombings — carried out by the regional militant group Jemaah Islamiyah — thrust Southeast Asia onto the front line of the war on terror.

Indonesia has since suffered three smaller attacks, the last also on Bali in 2005, but foreign diplomats, analysts and authorities agree that the threat level is significantly lower today.