Aniceto Guterres Lopes

Aniceto Guterres Lopes (born April 16, 1967, in Tapo, East Timor) is an East Timorese politician and human rights lawyer.

Early life On December 7, 1975, Lopes and his family fled the country to Builalu, Indonesia, to escape from the Indonesian troops that invaded East Timor. ) in 1997, when East Timor was still ruled by Indonesian armed forces. The organization offers legal services to human rights victims, and records violations of human rights. Lopes led Yayasan HAK from 1997 to 2002.

United Nations At a special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in 1999, Lopes spoke about the problems he and other East Timorese were encountering during Indonesia's occupation of East Timor.

Truth commission work Lopes was named as a commissioner of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor (CAVR) in 2002, during the UNTAET administration, and elected as chair of the commission. The commission lasted until 2005 and looked into cases of human rights abuse that occurred during the invasion of East Timor. He also served as a commissioner on the Indonesia–Timor Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship.

Political career Lopes is a member of FRETLIN, one of East Timor's major political parties. He was first elected in 2002 and would become his party's parliamentary leader. In 2017–18, when FRETILIN was in government, he was president of the National Parliament.

Accolades In 2001, Lopes was named as a fellow of the Ashoka Innovators of the Public. Lopes was also awarded the 2003 Ramon Magsaysay Award of Emergent Leadership, for his courageous stand for justice.