02 September 2009

East Timor defends militia suspect's deportation

02/09/09 Radio Australia News East Timor's Foreign Minister, Zacarias da Costa, has defended a decision to allow an Indonesian man accused of involvement in a massacre in 1999 to leave Dili's prison.

Martenus Bere was recently arrested in East Timor and is accused of being a militia commander and of involvement in the Suai church massacre.

He was moved from Dili's prison to the Indonesian embassy on Sunday, as East Timor celebrated 10 years since its independence referendum.

Mr da Costa says Indonesia expects that Martenus Bere will be deported to Indonesia.

He said :"If we have a citizen in the same situation in Indonesia, I will immediately react and try to follow the situation and see how best we can support have him back to Timor Leste and be subjected to our own laws."

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