Judges cut short rights hearing

Judges cut short rights hearing

JAKARTA: Human rights ad hoc judges cut short the reading of
the sentence request on Monday against three suspects in the 1999
East Timor human rights abuse hearing due to the defenders'
protest against the prosecutors' failure to put forward an expert
witness.

Prosecutor Harry Izmi was reading the list of witnesses when
lawyer Yan Djuanda Saputra found that the name of witness A.S.S.
Tambunan was included as a defense witness but his statements had
yet to be heard in court.

Presiding Judge Cicut Sutiarso later ordered the prosecutors
to produce Tambunan for a hearing on Thursday.

Former Liquica regent Leonito Martins, former military
commander overseeing the regency Lt. Col. Asep Kuswani and former
police chief Adios Salova are charged with neglecting their duty
to prevent subordinates from attacking the residence of Catholic
priest Rafael dos Santos on April 6, 1999. Dozens were killed in
the incident. -- JP