Malaysians Mohammed Nazir Bin Lep and Mohammed Farik Bin Amin have confessed to their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings that left over 200 individuals dead.
During a military court session at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay last Tuesday, they were presented via video link to journalists in the United States.
Bin Lep, aged 47, and Bin Amin, aged 48, have pled guilty to five out of the nine charges against them, as reported by Benar News. This marked the first occasion they have entered a plea, following their transfer to Guantanamo almost 17 years prior.
The charges against them, which included their involvement in the 2003 attack on the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta that resulted in the death of 11 people, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to The New York Times. In return, they have agreed to testify against the alleged Indonesian plot leader Encep Nurjaman, who is also known by the moniker Hambali.
Both Bin Lep and Bin Amin were initially accused alongside Hambali as his co-conspirators, but their cases were separated from his last year.
The Malaysians are set to receive their sentences in the next week, after which they are anticipated to be repatriated to Malaysia.
Hambali, who was once characterized by former President George W. Bush as “one of the world’s most lethal terrorists,” is still awaiting trial.
Hambali, through his attorneys, has claimed that post his apprehension in Thailand in 2003, he was subjected to brutal torture. He was then reportedly moved to a clandestine detention facility operated by the CIA where he endured torture as part of their rendition, detention, and interrogation program, often referred to as the “torture program.”
The Bali club attacks in October 2002 were a particularly dark chapter in Indonesia’s history, prompting a rigorous crackdown on extremist factions like Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), as well as the fortification of Jakarta’s counterterrorism measures.
The primary individuals responsible for the bombings were executed in 2008, while Ali Imron received a life sentence after his admission of guilt and expression of regret for his actions.
In a more recent development in 2022, Zulkarnaen, an influential former member of JI who had evaded capture for two decades, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the Bali bombings.
