East Timor: Mass jailbreak in protest at legal system hold-ups
About 190 inmates made a mass break out from a Dili prison Friday after
rioting in which several people were injured and at least one prisoner
received gunshot wounds.
The commander of the United Nations police force in Dili, Bill Quayde,
described the situation as "particularly complicated".
Some who escaped from the Becora jail began negotiations with Timor`s
minister of internal administration, Rogerio Lobato, and a number of
prisoners agreed to return to prison.
Police in riot gear surrounded a school next to the prison, which holds
250 prisoners, where Lobato talked with the escapees. Journalists were
prevented from entering the building.
One of those who broke out, identifying himself as Jacinto, told Lusa
that the jailbreak was caused by discontent at severe backlogs in the
processing of prisoners` cases. He himself had been detained on July 10,
accused of causing a disturbance and told he would be presented to a
judge within a month.
Rogerio Lobato told Lusa that he was considering replacing Timorese
judges with international ones, as legal detention deadlines were not
being adhered to. The minister added that he would be urgently reviewing
the Timor`s legal system.