Confirmation of their impending deaths comes more than 18 months since they exhausted their last legitimate avenue of appeal and coincides with a vigorous debate about the merits of the death penalty in Australia. Survivors and the families of those killed have reported considerable angst while waiting.

The executions are highly sensitive for the Indonesian Government and it appears they have been timed to occur during or near the time of the US presidential elections, thereby deflecting worldwide attention. Amid chaotic scenes in Jakarta yesterday, Jasman Panjaitan, a spokesman for the Attorney-General, read out the verdicts against the men before saying the executions of all three will take place in "early November". He took no questions. Indonesian police have selected three firing squads. The members of the squad that is finally selected will aim for the men's hearts from close distance. Some will fire blanks while others will fire live rounds.

Mukhlas and Imam Samudra were key figures in the plot by the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah that wreaked carnage in the Sari Club and Paddy's Bar and brought the threat of mass casualty terrorism to Australia's doorstep. Amrozi, the younger brother of Mukhlas, played a less pivotal role but gained widespread notoriety as the "smiling bomber".

All of the men are unrepentant and have repeatedly urged supporters to take revenge upon their deaths. They attempted to forestall the executions by launching an appeal to the Constitutional Court, arguing that death by firing squad is torture. More recently they threatened to launch further challenges through international courts and human rights groups. Neither appeal had a direct legal bearing on their case. But the legal manoeuvres have been seen as an attempt to whip up anger among segments of the Indonesian population and the Government is fearful that their well-publicised calls for vengeance could lead to civil unrest.

Indonesian police have been successful in cracking down on terrorist groups and there have been no bombings in the country since 2005.