[JURIST] The Indonesian Supreme Court Thursday rejected the third appeal [JURIST report] made by Mukhlas, Imam Samudra and Amrozi Nurhasyim [BBC profiles] of their convictions for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings [BBC backgrounder]. Lawyers for the three said they had been denied an earlier opportunity to present expert testimony in their clients' defense, but the court dismissed the request for a new hearing, and said that it would not accept additional appeals. Under Indonesian law, the only remaining way for the three to avoid execution is to be granted a presidential pardon, but they have thus far refused to request one. The group plans to file a challenge to the country's use of the death penalty [AI backgrounder], but it is not clear whether officials will stay their execution for such a challenge. AFP has more. AP has additional coverage.


Mukhlas, Imam Samudra , and Amrozi are members of of the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) [CFR backgrounder; JURIST news archive] and their first appeal was rejected late last year, prompting an unusual second appeal, which was later withdrawn [JURIST reports]. In May, Indonesian police arrested [JURIST report] another JI member, Faiz Fauzan, in connection with the 2005 Bali bombings [BBC report]. In March, an Indonesian judge handed down 15-year sentences [JURIST report] to two JI leaders, Zarkasih and Abu Dujana [BBC profiles], after convicting them on other terrorism charges.