Court rejects appeal of bombers on death row

? Indonesia’s top court said Tuesday it rejected final appeals of three Islamic militants convicted over the 2002 Bali bombings, bringing closer their executions for the attacks that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.

Supreme Court spokesman Nurhadi, who goes by a single name, said two separate panels of judges had ruled against Ali Ghufron and Imam Samudra – on Aug. 23 and Sept. 19 respectively – because their lawyers provided no new evidence countering earlier verdicts at lower courts.

The court previously announced that it has also rejected an appeal by a third Bali bomber on death row, Gufron’s younger brother, Amrozi Nurhasyim.

The three men all admitted in court to planning and carrying out the attacks, which they have said were meant to punish the U.S. and its Western allies for alleged atrocities in Afghanistan. They showed no remorse and taunted relatives of the victims in court.

Nurhadi said the only way for the men to avoid the death penalty would be to ask Indonesia’s president for clemency – something the militants have said they will not do because they stand by their actions.