Verdict on major expected Friday

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)