Final appeal for Bali bombers on death row withdrawn

DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) - Lawyers representing three Indonesian Islamic militants on death row for the 2002 Bali bombings withdrew on Monday a final appeal after a court rejected their request to present the convicts.

The three men -- Amrozi, Muklas and Imam Samudra -- face death by firing squad for their role in the two nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, including foreign tourists and Indonesians.

Their lawyers had filed a request for reviews of the three men's cases in a move seen as a last-ditch attempt to save their lives.

"Since it is a criminal case, the convicts' presence is a must but judges refuse our request to present them," one of the lawyers, Fahmi Bachmid, told a hearing.

"Therefore, we declare that we revoke our request so that we won't be blamed by the convicts because their rights aren't served by the judges," he said.

The request to present the three convicts in court had been rejected because it was unnecessary, said Judge Ida Bagus Putu Madeg, who presided over hearings in the Samudra case.

The withdrawal means that the case reviews for the three, heard in separate courtrooms, were over and no more hearings would be held, Madeg said.

Under Indonesian law, the Bali court will submit results of the review to the Supreme Court, which will then give a verdict.

Indonesia's Supreme Court had struck down the three men's final appeal in March 2004 and rejected a similar request for a case review last year.