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Judgment day for Bali suspect
DENPASAR, Indonesia (CNN) -- The first defendant to stand trial in connection with last October's Bali nightclub bombings is awaiting the verdict in a Denpasar courtroom, and faces a possible death sentence. The so-called "smiling bomber," Amrozi bin Nurhasyim has admitted he took part in the attacks that killed 202 people. Amrozi yelled "Allahu Akbar!" (God is greatest) as he entered the special district court on Thursday, the same expression he has used on each of his 18 appearances since the trial began on May 12. The 41-year-old mechanic allegedly bought the van and chemicals to make the deadliest bomb in the attack, which exploded outside the packed Sari Club in Kuta, Bali on October 12. The sentence hearing began at 9 a.m. (0100 GMT), with the five-judge panel hearing the prosecutor detail the charges against Amrozi. The defendant appeared calm as the judges then took turns to read from a 300-page court dossier which summarizes each testimony of more than 60 prosecution witnesses. The defense will be given a chance to speak, at which point the verdict will be read and Amrozi may get a chance to respond. Prosecutors have asked for the death sentence, and Amrozi could face the firing squad. Many expect a guilty verdict as Amrozi has confessed to buying the van that carried the explosives to the club and purchasing the chemicals that made up the explosives. The defense has been trying to prove that Amrozi wasn't one of the bombing planners. There is much riding on the verdict with many regional analysts saying it will show Indonesia's resolve in fighting terrorism. There are also fears Tuesday's bomb blast in Jakarta may be linked to his sentencing or that reprisal terror attacks could be launched following the court verdict. "Given the fact that the Marriott hotel bombing happened two days ago, all of Indonesia is looking to see what type of signal is being sent from here," CNN's Maria Ressa said from Bali. "In essence, the not just the justice system, but in effect Indonesia's law enforcement system is itself on trial in terms of how it will deal with terrorism and how strong a hand it will have." (Police release suspect sketch) Deadly blast
Investigators in Bali said the first blast, at Paddy's pub, was set off by a bomb containing no more than one kilogram of TNT. The second, much deadlier, explosion at Sari's was caused by 50-150 kg of ammonium nitrate. The double bombing was the world's worst terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. Most of those killed were tourists, including 88 Australians. A separate bomb outside the U.S. consulate office caused no casualties. Amrozi is charged with four counts of terrorism and says his motive was a jihad against Westerners. More than 60 witnesses took the stand at Amrozi's trial. Dubbed the "smiling bomber" for his cavalier attitude after his arrest in November, he has shown no remorse, upsetting the families and friends of those who died. Indonesian police blamed the blasts on the Islamic Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group, which is linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. Another 32 people also face trial over the attacks -- including the alleged ringleader of the plot, Imam Samudra, and two of Amrozi's older brothers -- suspected bomb-making expert Ali Imron, and Mukhlas, a known leader in JI. -- CNN Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa contributed to this report.
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