22 June 2010

President Horta to contact PNTL commissioner over rights abuses by police

Diario Nacional, June 18, 2010 language source: Tetun Following the recent assault of a journalist by one of the task force police officers, President Jose Ramos Horta has pledged to contact the Timorese National Police (PNTL) Commander, Commissioner Longuinhos Monteiro, to respond to this case.

“I will phone the PNTL commissioner or his deputy to come to explain this case to me and why the police assaulted this journalist. I do not know clearly about the case,” Horta said.

Horta said it was bad attitude if the police assault a journalist carrying out his/her work. 

Horta added that he wanted an official report from the police about the case, so that he could be properly informed about it.

The Diario Nacional journalist, Joao da Silva, was assaulted by some of the task force police officers when he was taking pictures at the Palacio do Governo.

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