Court hears Bali bombers appeal

Bali bombers Amrozi (L), Mukhlas (2nd L), and Imam Samudra (R) sit as their lawyer Achmad Michdan (2nd R) speaks at Batu prison…

Bali bombers Amrozi (L), Mukhlas (2nd L), and Imam Samudra (R) sit as their lawyer Achmad Michdan (2nd R) speaks at Batu prison, in Indonesia's Nusa Kambangan Island January 7, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer

Three Islamic militants on death row for the 2002 Bali bomb attacks began court proceedings in a Bali court today in a last-ditch attempt to avoid execution.

The three men, known as the Bali bombers, face death by firing squad for their role in the two nightclub blasts which killed more than 200 people, including foreign tourists and Indonesians.

The blasts dealt a severe blow to tourism in the resort island, which is predominantly Hindu.

A lawyer for the three men asked the court in Denpasar, Bali's capital, to consider a case review.

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The Supreme Court struck down the three men's final appeal in March 2004, and rejected a similar request for a case review last year. Prosecutors said they would be executed soon unless they sought clemency from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The cases of the three Indonesians -- Imam Samudra, Mukhlas and Amrozi -- were heard separately on Monday.

Lawyer Fachmi Bachmid requested that the court move the hearing to a town in Central Java near the maximum security prison where the three are held.

"We'd like to request the court to move the hearing to Cilacap because we plan to present new evidence, witnesses, expert witnesses, and the three convicts to the court," said Bachmid.

Lawyers previously argued that the first case review was not heard according to proper procedures.