Subject: 16 ETimorese prisoners appeal in Surabaya
for help
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 17:58:07 +0100 (BST)
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL)Kabar dari PIJAR
16 East Timorese prisoners in Kalisosok in need of support
Jakarta, Solid, (16/9)
Sixteen political prisoners now being held in Kalisosok Prison Surabaya have sent an
open letter appealing for help to several human rights and humantarian organisations,
including the ICRC, Komnas HAM and Solidamor.
Three of them, Mario Filipe, Alexander Freitas, and Marcus S. Bello, are suffering from
serious ailmants. Mario Filipe has a fractured rib-cage, Freitas has pleurisy and Marcus
Belo has TB.
Altogether twenty men were captured in Dili by the special police unit, Brimob on 31
May 1997 and accused of trying to sabotage the general elections. They were held in
several places of detention - by the Dili police for two months, at the military prison in
Baucau for seven months, at a prison in Dili for a month, then sixteen of them were
tranferred to Kalisosok on 27 March 1998. During the transfer they were hand-cuffed and
blindfolded.
During their incarceration by the police in Dili and the military prison in Baucau they
were all subjected to torture. The brutality was particularly bad in Baucau where they
were kicked, beaten and forced to drink their own urine. 'One of our colleagues died as a
result of the torture,' they wrote in their letter.
Their physical conditions have worsened because of the lack of medical facilities in
Kalisosok. The three sick men have failed to improve, in fact Mario's condition has
continued to deteriorate, they wrote.
They were denied access to a lawyer of their choice. During their trial in Dili, the
lawyer provided by the court did not even attend the hearings. The twenty men were all
found guilty and given sentences of eight years or more while one was sentenced to death.
The prisoners in Kalisosok have heard nothing about the fate of the colleague who was
sentenced to death. For all they know, he may already have been executed.
SOLIDAMOR will shortly be sending someone to Kalisosok to check on their conditions.
Speaking for SOLIDAMOR, Bonar Tigor Naipospos said that a team of lawyers has been chosen
to defend their interests.
In addition to what they say in their letter, their circumstances are compounded by the
fact that they are far from their families and therefore deprived of family support.
Name and age Sentence:
1. Mario Filipe (18)
2. Marcos Ximenes (28)
3. Dominggos S. Freitas (32)
4. Dominggos Sarmentos (31)
5. Alexander Freitas (18)
6. Marcos X. Bello (28)
7. Justino G. Freitas (32)
8. Bentura Bello (16)
9. Dominggos Savio (19)
10. Alvino Freitas (20)
11. Amin Ximenes (16)
12. Felumeno Freitas (18)
13. Joao Bosco (17)
14. Joao Freitas (17)
15. Virgilio Martins (24)
16. Fortunato Ximenes (31) |
9 years
9 years
8 years
12 years
12 years
13 years
13 years
12 years
12 years
12 years
13 years
11 years
9 years
12 years
9 years
12 years |
Public Officials Email and Address
Information
Report received from
Solidaritas untuk Penyelesaian Damai Timor Leste (Solidamor)
Solidarity for Peace in East Timor
Jl. Pramuka Jaya Sari No. 9, Jakarta Pusat, 10570.
Telp/fax. 422 4079, 422 6348
email : solidmor@centrin.net.id
and translated by TAPOL
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign 111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey
CR7 8HW, UK Phone: 0181 771-2904 Fax: 0181 653-0322 email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Campaigning to expose human rights violations in Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and
Aceh
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