Four soldiers admit to torturing detainees<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Four defendants in a court-martial in Banda Aceh
\non Tuesday admitted to having tortured detainees and causing the
\ndeaths of four of them.<\/p>\n
Their confessions were heard in the second session of the
\ntrial, D&R reported Tuesday from Banda Aceh. Their superior, a
\nmajor, is being tried separately.<\/p>\n
The defendants, part of a group of 27 due to be brought to
\ntrial, were privates first class Amsir, U. Harahap, Marolaum
\nSitumorang, and Effendi.<\/p>\n
They were charged with assault and battery on 40 detainees at
\na makeshift detention center on Jan. 9. The victims were part of
\na group of detainees held by the military following a separatist-
\nhunting raid on North Aceh villages. The separatists were said to
\nbe responsible for the killing of seven off-duty soldiers and the
\nabduction of two others in December.<\/p>\n
The court heard the oral testimony of four soldiers and a
\nwritten testimony from a victim, Jamaluddin.<\/p>\n
Jamaluddin, 40, a villager of Ceumecet in Kota Makmur
\ndistrict, described in his testimony, read out by the prosecutor,
\nhow he and dozens of other detainees were tortured. Jamaluddin
\nwas still being treated at the Lhokseumawe General Hospital.<\/p>\n
Those in charge of guarding the detainees had earlier claimed
\nthey were caught unawares and were unable to stop the sudden
\nattack by the off-duty soldiers, who were said to have numbered
\ndozens.<\/p>\n
The soldiers on the witness stand on Tuesday said they saw the
\ntorturing of the detainees.<\/p>\n
The defendants in the tightly guarded trial were said to have
\nkicked and slapped detainees as well as beating them with rifles
\nand wooden sticks, and electrocuting them.<\/p>\n
The trial presided over by Lt.Col. P.J. Piter with members
\nMaj. P. Budiastuti and Maj. Bambang, resumes on Jan. 27.<\/p>\n
The military has identified the accused soldiers as being
\nmembers of Battalions 111 and 113 and the Guided Missile
\nDetachment, all based in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh. (anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/four-soldiers-admit-to-torturing-detainees-1447893297",
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