Bali bomber Amrozi appeals

Amrozi has said he is "happy to die a martyr"

Lawyers for the Bali bomber Amrozi, who was sentenced to death for his role in the blasts, have lodged an appeal against his conviction.

A member of his defence team said the Islamic militant had authorised the appeal, despite his claim to be "happy to die as a martyr".

The lawyers said they did not dispute that Amrozi was guilty for his part in the Bali bombings, which killed 202 people last October.

But they said he did not deserve to die, given that he was not one of the attacks' orchestrators.

When you're fighting barbarism and terrorism I think you need to be careful not to descend to barbaric acts yourself Andrew Bartlett Australian senator Australia split over sentence

The death sentence passed against the man dubbed the smiling bomber for his near-constant grin throughout the trial is causing controversy in Australia, the country of origin of nearly half the Bali victims.

The Australian Government's support for the death sentence has sparked criticism in a nation where there is no capital punishment.

"I know some people disagree with me, some people say that I should be saying: 'Don't execute the man,'" Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday.

"I'm not going to do that because I do respect the judicial processes of Indonesia," he said.

DEATH PENALTY FOR BOMBER Carried out by 14-man firing squad Only one round is live Sentence can be appealed Appeals can take five years Amrozi profile In Pictures: Brought to trial

But Senator Andrew Bartlett, leader of the Democrat party, said: "When you're fighting barbarism and terrorism I think you need to be careful not to descend to barbaric acts yourself.

"In my view the death penalty is a barbaric act that we need to oppose in all circumstances," he said.

Like Australia, Britain - which also lost nationals in the Bali attack - said it would not appeal against the sentence, despite abolishing capital punishment.

"It is not for us to tell other countries what to do," said the UK's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

But a group representing some of the British victims has said it will lobby Jakarta to reduce Amrozi's sentence to life in prison.

They believe his execution would make him a martyr and spark more militant attacks.