Mark Dodd, Dili – An East Timorese independence fighter pleaded for acquittal yesterday at the end of his trial for the killing of a pro-Indonesian militiaman in retaliation for the militia violence unleashed after the 1999 vote for independence.
Julio Fernandes, a former Falintil guerrilla, pleaded not guilty to murder in an emotionally charged case that has attracted widespread public interest.
He told the Dili District Court yesterday that an angry crowd, incensed by the militia violence after the August, 1999, vote, had pressured him into killing militiaman Americo de Jesus Martins.
"It was not my desire or my wish to conduct such a crime. In fact, it was the result of coercion by a whole sub-district of Ermera for me to commit the crime," he said. "Please consider my future and help me repair my future that has been destroyed by the cruel Indonesian army."
Mr Fernandes, 30, is accused of killing Mr Martins, a member of the Darah Merah (Red Blood) militia, in the coffee-growing town of Gleno on September 26, 1999.
Prosecutor Brenda-Sue Norton said it was a case of premeditated murder, saying Mr Fernandes had stabbed Mr Martins twice after first determining he was a militiaman.
The defence said Mr Fernandes was coerced into taking part in the killing by a frenzied mob, which had already cut off one of Mr Martins' ears.
The court heard that Mr Fernandes had arrived in Gleno looking for his parents when a crowd of 2000 demanded that he kill the militiaman for his alleged involvement in post-ballot violence.
"The people wanted him killed. He [Fernandes] could not walk away – the crowd would not allow it," said public defender Siho Malunga. He said the mob was incensed at Falintil's failure to prevent the violence that followed the independence vote.
The courtroom was packed for yesterday's hearing. Peter Birro, spokesman for the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, admitted the case was sensitive and public support for Mr Fernandes was high.
In contrast, there is little sympathy for the militia responsible for hundreds of murders and the destruction of the territory after the vote. The court will deliver its verdict on February 27.