- Country
- Timor Leste
- Initial Date
- Oct 1, 2022
- Event Description
Two journalists have been summoned by the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) after publishing two articles on a minister’s request to dismiss Gastão Pereira, the Director of Internal Intelligence at the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Timor-Leste Press Union (TLPU), in condemning the summons and urging the authorities to cease targeting journalists and safeguard press freedom.
Editor-in-chief of the Jornal Independente, Jorginho dos Santos, and journalist, Domingos Gomes received letters from law enforcement summoning them to a police station for their article detailing recent political developments in Timor-Leste.
The piece detailed allegations that Timor-Leste’s Deputy Minister of Justice, José Edmundo Caetano, had sent a letter to senior government officials requesting the resignation of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director of Internal Intelligence, Gastão Pereira, for his failure to comply with disclosure regulations.
According to reports, Pereira is accused of sharing confidential information about an upcoming investigation into the seizure of USD 130,000 and 40 million Indonesian Rupiahs (approx. USD 2,566) at a Timor-Leste airport.
The summoning of the Santos and Gomes by police is the latest in a series of media rights violations in Timor-Leste. In May, the IFJ documented defamation charges brought by a parliament minister against journalist Francisco Belo Simoes da Costa, following coverage of an allegation of ministerial corruption. Two months later, the chief editor of news portal Oekusipost.com, Raimundos Oki, was accused of breaching judicial secrecy for an investigative report arguing that several virginity tests were forcibly conducted on inmates at the Topu Honis Shelter in Kutet, Oeecusse.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Oct 30, 2022
- Country
- Timor Leste
- Initial Date
- Jun 29, 2022
- Event Description
Raimundos Oki, chief editor of news portal Oekusipost.com, has been accused of breaching judicial secrecy following an investigative report concerning the detention and forced virginity testing of 30 underage girls in 2020. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the charges and calls on the Timor-Leste government to immediately rescind the case.
On June 29, Oki received a telephone call from an officer at the Criminal Investigation Scientific Police (Polícia Científica de Investigação Criminal), instructing him to appear before police the following day. The journalist exercised his right to silence during the minute meeting.
Oki faces charges for allegedly breaching ‘judicial confidentiality’ under Article 291 of Timor Leste’s Timor Code, with a penalty of one to six years imprisonment, for a report that argued several virginity tests were forcibly conducted on inmates at the Topu Honis Shelter in Kutet, Oecusse.
The report centered on evidence-gathering practices during the trial of Richard Daschbach, an American priest in Timor-Leste, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in December 2021 for sexually abusing children under his care.
According to Oki’s report, the public prosecution ordered several local NGOs and police to detain around 30 underage girls for two weeks and performed forced virginity tests in June 2020.
Speaking to UCA News on July 1, Oki said, “When almost all media, including international media, focused on the former priest, I tried to bring up the other side, about the forced virginity test... I happen to be from Oecusse and I found those 30 girls. I spoke to them, and they admitted to being forced to undergo a virginity test.”
In 2017, the Oki faced a year imprisonment for defamation following an article published by the Timor Post published in 2016, which referred to the then Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Rui Maria de Araujo, in his previous role as advisor to the Minister for Finance. According to the article, Araujo recommended the winning bid for a project to supply and install computer equipment for the new Ministry of Finance building in 2014. In June 2017, a Dili judge dismissed all charges against Oki at the Dili Court.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jul 10, 2022
- Country
- Timor Leste
- Initial Date
- May 18, 2022
- Event Description
A parliament minister has brought defamation charges under Timor Leste’s Penal Code against journalist Francisco Belo Simões da Costa, following coverage of an allegation of ministerial corruption. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Timor-Leste Press Union (TLPU), in calling for the immediate withdrawal of the case against the journalist.
Timor Leste’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication, Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, filed a claim against Francisco Belo, the editor-in-chief of local news portal Hatutan.com, over a report regarding allegations of corruption in a ‘set-top-box installation’ project.
Minister Francisco Jeronimo replied to the article, stating the news report about his project was not valid, and his response was republished by Hatutan.com. The minister is responsible for drafting legislation to develop public and private media in Timor Leste.
Following the coverage, Minister Jerónimo brought charges against Francisco Belo, who received a summons from the Dili district prosecutor’s office for defamation under Article 285 of Timor-Leste’s Penal Code.
Francisco Belo gave a statement to the prosecutor’s office on May 23, meeting with officers for approximately thirty minutes. If found guilty under Article 285, the journalist faces up to three years in prison or a fine.
In 2017, two Timor Leste journalists, Oki Raimundos and Lourenco Martins, also faced jail for defamation for their articles about Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo in 2015, but the charges were overturned by the Dili District Court on June 1, 2017.
The TLPU stated that it had verified that Hatutan.com's report about the installation project followed all media laws and the journalistic code of ethics. "We urge Minister Francisco Jeronimo to resolve this case through mediation from the Press Council because journalism is not a crime," TLPU said.
23 MAY 2022 by RAIMUNDOS OKI in JUSTISA Created: 23 May 2022Hits: 1481 Ghost articles return to haunt journalists in Timor-Leste
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DILI (TOP) – Freedom of the press is protected by article 41 of the Timor-Leste’s Constitution, but there is still one ghost article in the Criminal Code (2009), namely article 285 on Defamatory false information.
The ghost article has been used by politicians and law enforcement in Timor-Leste to strike back at their opponents, especially journalists who often write stories about corruption cases in both private and public institutions.
Article 285 is a giant ghost that not only haunts journalists but will also haunt critics in this country one day.
Leaders and politicians in Timor-Leste have been pleased with the annual world press freedom index of 71st out of 180 countries in 2021 and 17th in 2022 ahead of Australia, but the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo has sued the editor-in-chief of the online media www.hatutan.com Francisco Belo Simões da Costa after publishing a corruption case allegedly involving the minister Francisco Jerónimo.
According to information accessed by The Oe-Kusi Post (TOP), installation project Set-top Box Set-top Box/dexodificador RTTL,E.P with a budget of $900,0000.00, allegedly involve Minister Francisco Jerónimo who is also the President of the Federação Futebol de Timor-Leste (F -FTL) entered into a contract with a local company DILI ETERNAL INNOVATION INFORMATION, Lda as a Joint Venture of Melánia da Silva Fernandes Capela was a secretary in the F-FTL cabinet, but according to his right of reply to Hatutan.com that the news reports about this project is not true.
As a result, Minister Francisco Jerónimo finally sued the editor-in-chief of Hatutan.com who is also a member of the Timor-Leste press council to the Dili District Prosecutor Office.
“I have gone to give a statement at the Dili prosecutor's office on a report from the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo regarding Defamatory false information in article 285 of the Timor-Leste's penal code,” Francisco Belo Simões da Costa told
According to a news report from the online media Hatutan.com that their chief editor gave a statement at the Dili prosecutor's office on Monday 23 May 2022 from 9 to 9:30 am Timor-Leste time.
Journalist Francisco Belo received a summons from the Dili prosecutor's office on 18 May 2022 with the case number NUC 0078/22/PCCIC as a suspect.
The online media Hatutan.com explained that their editor-in-chief had been sued by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo for the publication of news about the Set-top Box/dexodificador installation project Rádiu Televizaun Timor Leste, Empreza Públika (RTTL, E.P).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Jun 4, 2022
- Country
- Timor Leste
- Initial Date
- Jan 22, 2016
- Event Description
HARASSED FOR ORGANIZING PEACEFUL RALLY Two members of Timor-Leste's security forces visited the office of the human rights NGO Yayasan HAK on 26 January and the police has been harassing its Executive Director by telephone for organizing and participating in a peaceful demonstration. Manuel Monteiro Fernandes, Executive Director of the human rights NGO Yayasan HAK based in Dili, Timor Leste, has informed Amnesty International that the police has been calling him repeatedly regarding the NGO's involvement in organizing a peaceful demonstration to coincide with the President of Indonesia's visit to Timor-Leste on 26 January. His safety is at risk. On the day of the demonstration, two members of the Timor-Leste Defence Force (Falintil-Forcas de Defesa de Timor-Leste, F-FDTL) visited the Yayasan HAK office and requested to use the space as a security base due to its proximity to the Indonesian Embassy in Dili. Manuel Monteiro Fernandes refused to allow them to use their office. One of the soldiers then approached another member of the staff, Adelio da Costa Fernandes and requested that he immediately remove his t-shirt because it carried the slogan "Free West Papua", which refers to a political issue that is considered as highly sensitive by the Indonesian government. Yayasan HAK announced in a joint public statement on 25 January, together with other local NGOs, that the peaceful demonstration was organised to urge the Timorese and Indonesian governments to address crimes against humanity committed during the Indonesian occupation between 1975 and 1999. They also called for the immediate implementation of recommendations set out by the Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF), a bilateral agreement between the government of Indonesia and the government of Timor-Leste to investigate crimes committed during the 1999 independence referendum, including the establishment of a Commission for Missing People. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Yayasan HAK is a non-governmental organisation based in Dili, Timor-Leste focusing on promoting and protecting human rights in civil society and state institutions. Yayasan HAK was established in August 1996 by Timorese and Indonesian activists to monitor human rights, provide human rights education, legal support and advocacy across thirteen districts in Timor-Leste. Under the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, it is the duty of the State to create the conditions necessary to defend human rights within their jurisdictions and specifically "to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of everyone against any violence, threats, retaliation, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the Declaration." Rights and protections accorded to human rights defenders include the right to meet or assemble peacefully. The right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association is guaranteed under Section 42 of the Constitution of Timor-Leste (Freedom to Assemble and Demonstrate) which stipulates that: "Everyone is guaranteed the freedom to assemble peacefully and unarmed, without a need for prior authorization; and everyone is recognized the right to demonstrate in accordance with the law." Impunity persisted for gross human rights violations committed during the Indonesian occupation (1975-1999). Little progress was made in addressing crimes against humanity and other human rights violations committed by Indonesian security forces and their auxiliaries from 1975 to 1999. Many suspected perpetrators remained at large in Indonesia. No progress by the authorities was reported in implementing recommendations addressing impunity from the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) and the bilateral Indonesia-Timor-Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF). Amnesty International has documented ongoing impunity in Timor-Leste in its reports We Cry for Justice: Impunity Persists 10-years on in Timor-Leste (ASA 57/001/2009) and Timor-Leste: Justice in the Shadow (ASA/57/001/2010). UN SR Case Country No: TLS 1/2016
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
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