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Indonesian
Student Faces Death in Cairo
An Indonesian student accused of murdering four members
of a Malaysian family in Cairo earlier this year will likely
face the death sentence.
Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Bachtiar Aly said on Saturday
the student, Ali Darman, was likely to go on death row after
relatives of the deceased refused to pardon him.
Under Egyptian law, capital punishment can be avoided if
the relatives of a victim agree to forgive the murderer.
Bachtiar said the Indonesian Embassy had made a series of
diplomatic overtures to have Ali's punishment reduced to
life imprisonment.
"We have asked Malaysian officials to arrange a meeting
between us and the victims' relatives, but the family refused
to respond," Bachtiar told Antara.
Ali, a student of a Sharia law university, is currently
in prosecutors' custody and will stand trial early next
year for murder and armed robbery.
He was accused of killing university colleague, Muhammad
Zaki Ayyub, 27, his wife, Nur Hayati Bokhari, 27 and their
two children Maryam, 7, and Muaz, 3, last October.
Police said the murder followed a robbery as some US$6,800
in cash belonging to Ayyub was stolen. Ali had earlier confessed
to committing the crimes.
The Indonesian, who owned a restaurant in Cairo, was named
the only suspect in the killing spree.
One of Ayyub's relatives, Muhammad Syukri, said there would
be no reconciliatory talks with Ali.
"We will not grant the pardon, although we understand
that they (Ali's side) have tried to meet us. It is impossible
for us to forgive him," Syukri said as quoted by Antara
on Friday.
Ali had appeared in a hearing early this month, but the
court gave the Indonesian government a chance to seek a
pardon from Ayyub's relatives.
The embassy has hired a Egyptian lawyer to represent Ali.
M (JP/IM)
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