05 November 2013

Jail break from Becora prison in East Timor's capital

ETLJB 5 November 2013 - Up to 24 prisoners escaped from the Becora prison in Dili on Sunday 3 November 2013.

Reports state that the prisoners escaped after attending mass and beating up prison guards on their way back to their cells.
 

Two of the escapees had been convicted of crimes committed during the violence that destroyed the nation in 1999 when the East Timorese rejected autonomy within Indonesia and seceded from its giant neighbour. Indonesia invaded in 1975 and illegally occupied the country for more than 24 years during which up to 200 000 East Timorese lost their lives. Local Timorese were recruited into militias by the Indonesian military to terrorise and kill independence agitators.

Other inmates who escaped were serving time for crimes including murder, rape and theft.

“Twenty-four inmates escaped. They beat up two wardens and ran out through the main entrance,” said Joao Domingos, The Becora prison warden, Joao Domingos said that 13 of the inmates had been recaptured but that the two former pro-autonomy militia members were still on the loose. 


Domingos is reported to have blamed the breakout from the prison on a lack of guards and equipment such as walkie-talkies and batons.
Source: Facebook. Edited by Warren L. Wright

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