Verdict on major expected Friday

BANDA ACEH: The verdict on a major involved in the assault and battery of detainees in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, is expected on Friday. Major Bayu Najib, former commander of Battalion 113 Jaya Sakti, faces a maximum penalty of 12 years if proven guilty of battery leading to death.

Four Acehnese died following a raid by dozens of soldiers on a makeshift detention center on Jan. 9 holding 40 civilians. They were being held there after a military operation in North Aceh targeting separatists, said to be responsible for the killing of seven off-duty soldiers and the abduction of two others last month.

DR weekly reported that the third session of the trial of four defendants -- off-duty soldiers assigned to Aceh -- heard a witness say he did not see the defendants committing the crime as charged.

The witness, Chief Sgt. Pargurutan Lubis, said he only saw the four defendants, all lower ranking soldiers, beat the detainees around 1 p.m. while the defendants are charged with assault and battery beginning around 7:15 p.m. The trial resumes on Friday.

Separately political prisoners of the Aceh Independence Movement released a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross demanding investigation of abuse against them. They also demanded that their case be brought to the International Court of Justice.

A number of prisoners in North Sumatra's Pematang Siantar prison claimed they were frequently beaten, kicked and had their heads banged against iron bars. Others claimed to have been electrocuted, hanged or burned on certain parts of the body when they defied officials. (anr)