JSMP: Militia member convicted of UNAMET staff murder

BACK DOOR Newsletter on East Timor home July news

"A former member of Team Pancasila militia was today found guilty of murdering a UNAMET local staff member and FALINTIL supporter in Atabe village, Ermera district on the day after the popular consultation in which nearly eighty percent of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia. ... This is the first case involving the killing of an East Timorese who was in part targeted for his role in working with the UN mission that supervised the ballot on 30 August 1999. Many other local staff were similarly attacked in the violent aftermath." Judicial System Monitoring Programme news service

Militia member convicted of UNAMET staff murder

JSMP, Dili 16/7 -01

A former member of Team Pancasila militia was today found guilty of murdering a UNAMET local staff member and FALINTIL supporter in Atabe village, Ermera district on the day after the popular consultation in which nearly eighty percent of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia. The Special Panel for Serious Crimes of the Dili District Court, comprised of Judge Sylver Ntukamazina (Burundi) presiding, Judge Maria Natercia Gusmao Pereira (East Timor), Benetio Mosso Ramos (Cape Verde), sentenced Augostino da Costa to 15 years’ imprisonment with credit given for the nine months he has already spent in detention awaiting trial.

This is the first case involving the killing of an East Timorese who was in part targeted for his role in working with the UN mission that supervised the ballot on 30 August 1999. Many other local staff were similarly attacked in the violent aftermath.

The written judgment, including the findings of fact, applicable law and the Court’s reasons will be delivered on 31 July 2001 at 0900.

This message came from the Judicial System Monitoring Programme news service:

JSMP news service Added June 28
About 1 email a day; 1 full item/email:
JSMP is a moderated e-mail list featuring the current developments of the judicial system in East Timor and any progress made in Indonesia aiming to bring those planning, aiding or conducting crimes in East Timor to justice. All mails are sent directly from Dili, East Timor in order to bring you the most up-to date and representative news and reports available.
To subscribe to JSMP’s news service send an empty e-mail to list-subscribe@jsmp.minihub.org or go to http://www.jsmp.minihub.org/list.htm
To unsubscribe, send an empty mail to: list-unsubscribe@jsmp.minihub.org
If you have anything you want to distribute (news, reports etc) or questions, please send an e-mail to info@jsmp.minihub.org

Judicial System Monitoring Programme (JSMP) Added June 9
JSMP is a new human rights project set up by the East Timorese Jurists’ Association and the Timorese/international organisation La'o Hamutuk. JSMP aims to assist the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, the East Timorese public and the international community by making recommendations for ongoing reform of the fledgling judicial system of East Timor.
The main objective of the programme is to improve the quality of justice provided by the newly established judicial system, and to promote human rights and the rule of law in a meaningful and transparent manner for the people of East Timor through:

sending legal observers to monitor the serious crimes trials;

providing legal analysis and thematic reports; and

dissemination of information on the developments of the justice system as a whole.

At this stage, the programme’s courtroom observation work focuses primarily on the cases related to the violence in 1999, which include crimes against humanity, genocide and torture.
Regular updates: subscribe to JSMP’s news service by sending an empty e-mail to list-subscribe@jsmp.minihub.org
Email/Phone: info@jsmp.minihub.org, Phone +670 (390) 325-013;
Christian Ranheim, christian@jsmp.minihub.org, Phone +61(0) 419 804 600;
Caitlin Reiger, caitlin@jsmp.minihub.org, Phone +61 (0) 419 366 404
Homepage: http://www.jsmp.minihub.org
Jun 1 2001 JSMP: New Human Rights Project in East Timor: http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/01junjsmp.htm

BD: Calls for International War Crimes Tribunal - A collection of recent reports, articles and news [section on East Timor's Judicial System]

BACK DOOR Newsletter on East Timor home July news
Website: http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood Email: wildwood@pcug.org.au
Postal address: BACK DOOR GPO Box 59 Canberra City ACT 2601 Australia

Receive FREE weekly email Web-updates: email wildwood@pcug.org.au and include the words "Subscribe BACK DOOR" in the message header. more info