Abilio acquitted of rights crime<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court acquited former East Timor governor Abilio
\nSoares following a case review on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Abilio, who was charged with involvement in the 1999
\natrocities in East Timor, had served less than four months of his
\nthree-year prison term.<\/p>\n
The court's head of criminal cases, Zarof Rikard, said that a
\npanel of three justices had approved the case review filed by
\nAbilio. The panel was chaired by Justice Iskandar Kamil.<\/p>\n
Zarof, however, did not disclose the legal arguments for
\nAbilio's acquittal except that the verdict was highlighted with a
\ndissenting opinion from Justice Artidjo Alkostar, who rejected
\nthe case.<\/p>\n
Abilio, an East Timor native, was the first person to be
\njailed in connection with atrocities in the former Indonesian
\nprovince after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal.<\/p>\n
He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2002 for failing
\nto control his subordinates during an attack on a Liquisa church
\nthat left 22 civilians dead. He started serving his prison term
\nin July this year.<\/p>\n
Observers say the tribunal on East Timor had failed to deliver
\njustice based on international law following the acquittal of 11
\nmilitary members and one civilian.<\/p>\n
Three Army officials, a former Dili Police chief and a militia
\nmember are waiting for the result of their appeals to the higher
\ncourts after they were all convicted.<\/p>\n
Abilio, who moved to Kupang after the separation of East Timor
\nfrom Indonesia, maintained his stance that he was a scapegoat for
\nthe bloodshed in East Timor when the territory voted for
\nindependence in 1999, saying former military and police chiefs
\nthere should be held responsible for the violence.<\/p>\n
He said that as a civilian governor, and with East Timor under
\nmartial law at the time, he did not control the security forces
\nduring the carnage, blamed on military-backed militias.<\/p>\n
Abilio and his lawyers have also filed for a judicial review
\nto the Constitutional Court over the retroactive principle on the
\nhuman rights tribunal.<\/p>\n
The case is currently being heard by the Constitutional Court.
\nIt is not clear whether Abilio will withdraw the case following
\nhis acquittal.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abilio-acquitted-of-rights-crime-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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