Kevin Rudd reaffirmed Australia's opposition to the death penalty as the Bali bombers await execution

Kevin Rudd reaffirmed Australia's opposition to the death penalty as the Bali bombers await execution. Risking the anger of victims' relatives in the lead-up to the execution, the Prime Minister has unequivocally stated the federal Government's position after backbenchers complained he needed to make it clear. "Well, the Bali bombers are murderers," he said today. "Many... have been affected by their murderous, cowardly and callous act. It's appalling. "But I am not going to pretend to you that our policy on the death penalty has changed." Mr Rudd said his position remained clear - that Australia would not intervene to oppose the executions and would only make special representations on behalf of Australians facing the death penalty. "We are universally opposed to the death penalty," he told Melbourne radio 3AW. "We make no exception to that. That's been a bipartisan policy between us and the Liberals. Secondly, the other part of our policy is when any individual is convicted of the death penalty anywhere in the world, we the Australian Government only intervene in the case of Australian citizens."