ASA 21/018/2006
Further Information on UA 286/05 (ASA 21/020/2005, 15 November 2005) and follow-ups (ASA 21/001/2006, 3 February 2006 ; ASA 21/011/2006, 18 August 2006) –
Imminent Execution
INDONESIA : Fabianus Tibo (m) aged 61
Dominggus da Silva (m), also known as Domi, aged 43
Marinus Riwu (m), aged 49
22 September 2006
Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu were executed by firing squad on 22 September at 1.45am local time. The location of the execution was not officially revealed by the authorities, although a police official said the three men were executed at a location near Palu airport, Central Sulawesi. They were sentenced to death in April 2001 for premeditated murder and inciting riots, following ethnic and religious violence in the district of Poso, Central Sulawesi, in May 2000.
On 19 September, Fabianus Tibo’s eldest son reportedly revealed that the three men wanted to be executed in public, to satisfy all those who wanted their death. On 21 September, a few hours before the execution, the three men expressed the wish to have their coffins exposed to the public at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Palu, Central Sulawesi. Reports also indicate that Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu also asked for their remains to be sent back to their native island of Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara province, and have a funeral procession. All these requests were rejected by the authorities.
The executions sparked violence in Central Sulawesi, Flores and Atambua, West Timor. According to reports, cars and police posts were torched in Central Sulawesi and the gates of the Atambua Prison in West Timor were set on fire, leading to the escape of 190 prisoners. The Atambua Prosecutor’s Office was also attacked and the house of one of the prosecutors was set alight. In Flores, reports indicate that mobs ran into the streets, leaving some people hurt, including a prosecutor who was hospitalized with stab wounds.
Many commentators had anticipated that there was a significant danger that the execution of the three men could exacerbate tensions in Central Sulawesi which has repeatedly been the scene of ethnic and religious violence. The response to these executions illustrates so far that the use of the death penalty is a symptom of a culture of violence rather than a solution to it.
At least 90 people are believed to be under sentence of death in Indonesia. The executions of the three men are the first since May 2005 and raise fears that they might be followed by others.
No further action is requested in this case. Many thanks to all who sent appeals. Although we were unsuccessful in this case, these appeals have brought significant attention to the use of the death penalty in Indonesia, and informed the debate on the issue.
Communication au réseau Action Urgente septembre 2006
Nous vous souhaitons une bonne rentrée et nous espérons que vous avez passé de bonnes vacances. Pour le service des Actions Urgentes, il n’y a pas de vacances qui tiennent ! Et durant ces deux mois, nous avons reçu des « bonnes nouvelles » à la pelle. En voici quelques-unes :
Bouleversé par le soutien d’Amnesty International : Lorsqu’il s’est entretenu avec des représentants d’Amnesty International après sa libération, Weja Chicampo était fatigué et ému. Il a déclaré avoir été bouleversé par toutes les lettres envoyées par des membres de l’organisation. Il ne les avait pas vues lui-même, mais son cousin l’avait informé de l’arrivée de chacune de ces lettres. Il a remercié Amnesty International pour son soutien, et tout spécialement les membres qui se sont mobilisés en sa faveur.(AFR 24/003/2004 ; AU 116/04)
Honduras : le 23 juin, les prisonniers d’opinion Marcelino et Leonardo Miranda ont été acquitté et toutes les poursuites à leur encontre, dans une affaire de meurtre montée de toute pièce sûrement en représailles à leur combat en faveur des sans-terre, ont été abandonnées (AMR 37/006/2003 ; UA 128/03).
