Dozens of Catholic priests, nuns and activists have gathered and called bishops in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT)  to reject a Supreme Court verdict, which sentenced former priest Herman Jumat Masan to death for the premeditated murder of his lover Yosephine Kerodok Payong and two infants from their relationship.

'€œWe are against the death sentence, however, we believe a life sentence is the appropriate punishment,'€ Priest Otto Gusti Madung said on Thursday after the gathering.

Madung said their objection to the death sentence is based humanitarian reasons.

Last week, the Supreme Court sentenced Masan, 45, after the Maumere District Court had earlier sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment. Earlier, Maumere prosecutors demanded the district court sentence Masan to death for the series of murders that took place between 1999 to 2002.