SERIOUS CRIMES UNIT: INFORMATION RELEASE
10 April 2003
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY RAPE CHARGES FOR FIVE TNI SOLDIERS
The Deputy General Prosecutor for Serious Crimes filed a new Crimes Against
Humanity indictment with the Special Panel for Serious Crimes at Dili
District Court in East Timor at 1400 on 9 April 2003. The indictment
charges 5 East Timorese TNI soldiers with Crimes Against Humanity? Rape,
Torture and Deportation.
As part
of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians in a
particular Sub-district in East Timor in April 1999, it is alleged that
TNI
soldiers, including the 5 accused, and militia forcibly transferred
villagers in that Sub-district to central locations. The indictment alleges
that this was a strategy to control the movements and activities of
independence supporters.
At these
central locations, the 5 accused TNI soldiers allegedly raped a
number of women for an extended period of time. The 5 accused TNI soldiers
used intimidation, threats of force or actual force to illicit compliance
and subservience from the victims. In some cases, the rapes continued
after
the victims were forcibly deported to West Timor following the announcement
of the result of the popular consultation in September 1999. The indictment
also charges torture of the victims while they were under the control
of
the accused persons.
All of the
accused in the indictment are believed to be in the Republic of
Indonesia. Arrest Warrants will be requested from Dili District Court
which
when received will be forwarded to the Attorney General of the Republic
of
Indonesia. The arrest warrants will also be forwarded to Interpol as Timor
Leste joined the Interpol organisation in 2002.
The names
of the accused and the area where the alleged crimes were
committed will not be disclosed in order to safeguard the victims.
The indictment is the fourth indictment to be issued by the Serious Crimes
Unit with charges of rape as a Crime Against Humanity. On 5 April 2003,
one
accused in the Lolotoe trial was convicted of 7 counts of Crimes Against
Humanity including one count of Crimes Against Humanity (rape) at the
Special Panel for Serious Crimes at Dili District Court.
The Serious
Crimes Unit has now filed 60 indictments at the Special Panel
for Serious Crimes charging a total of 247 persons. More than 30 defendants
have been convicted in trials at the Special Panel for Serious Crimes
at
Dili District Court.