THE HAGUE: The UN’s International Court of Justice has ordered Australia to stop interfering with East Timor in a bitter spy row, forbidding Canberra from reading secret documents seized from Dili’s lawyers.
East Timor in January dragged Canberra to the ICJ, seeking the return of documents relating to a multi-billion-dollar oil and gas treaty between the two countries, which Dili now wants torn up.
Australian agents seized the documents in December in a raid on the Canberra offices of East Timor’s lawyer, Bernard Colleary.
Australia’s representatives told ICJ judges in January that the seizure was prompted by “national security” issues, but Dili said it was “shocked” at the treatment meted out by its giant neighbour. Dili then asked the ICJ to order Australia to stop alleged eavesdropping on East Timor and its lawyers and hand back the seized documents.
“Australia shall not interfere in any way in communications between Timor-Leste and its legal advisers,” ICJ president Peter Tomka ordered on Monday.
AFP
