Catharine Munro, Jakarta – An unlikely gathering of Indonesian rock stars, criminals and retired soldiers yesterday converged on a Jakarta courtroom in support of East Timorese militia leader Eurico Guterres.

Dressed in his signature military fatigues and the national colors of red and white, Mr Guterres appeared in North Jakarta State Court for the second hearing of his trial amid hundreds of avid supporters.

Mr Guterres, 27, is facing charges of inciting his followers to snatch back weapons immediately after they had been handed over to police during a ceremony in September that was attended by Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Underlining his status as a hero, he was flanked by members of the Young Bulls of Indonesia, the youth wing of Mrs Megawati's highly popular nationalist party.

A coalition called the Front for a Unified Indonesian People, including six nationalist groups with names such as Concerned Artists for East Timor and Children of the Warriors of East Timor, chanted slogans in support of Mr Guterres' release.

"The trial is only lip service, merely to fulfil the target of imprisoning Eurico Guterres, the son of integration," the group declared in a flyer. "This case is political and has no legal or criminal basis."

Well-known female rock singer Renny Djajoesman and the notorious Jakarta criminal who goes by the name of Hercules led the crowd in chants of "Viva Guterres", "Free Guterres".

Inside the court, Mr Guterres' lawyer, Suhardi Somomoeljono, called on the judges to drop all charges against his client. "The charge of the prosecutor is not clear and not accurate," Mr Suhardi told the court.