PENAL CODE of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste Article 239. Refusing an electoral post Any person who is appointed to serve as an electoral official and unjustifiably refuses to assume or ceases to perform said duties, is punishable with up to one year imprisonment or a fine. Article 240. Breach of voting secrecy Any person who, in an election held by secret ballot, breaches said secrecy, either by becoming privy to or making others privy to the voting intention of another person, is punishable with up to 1 year imprisonment or a fine. Article 241. Duty of neutrality and impartiality Officials of the electoral administration or those collaborating with the same who breach the duties of neutrality and impartiality are punishable with up to 2 years imprisonment or a fine. Article 242. Aggravation Any person who commits any of the crimes described in this chapter and holds public office, namely in the Government, Parliament, the Armed Forces, as a judicial magistrate or Public Prosecutor, in any law enforcement or other administrative organ, shall have the limits to the penalties provided herein doubled. CHAPTER V CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC AUTHORITY Article 243. Obstructing public authority 1. Any person who, by means of violence or serious threat of violence against an officer or agent of military, militarized or police forces, acts to oppose performance of his or her duties or compels the same to commit any act contrary to said duties is punishable with 2 to 6 years imprisonment. 2. If the act referred to in the previous subarticle is effectively committed or prevented, the penalty is 2 to 8 years imprisonment. Article 244. Disobedience 1. Any person who fails to obey or persists in disobeying a lawful order or warrant properly communicated and issued by a competent authority, is punishable with up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine if: a) Any legal provision so determines; or b) If said person has been warned that his or her conduct is criminally liable and the authority or government official has duly communicated the same. 2. Whenever any legal provision defines the act as a specifically defined disobedience, the penalty is from 1 to 4 years imprisonment. 3. Disobedience to a specific prohibition or interdiction ordered in a criminal sentence, as well as to any accessory penalty or commitment-related order not involving deprivation of liberty, is punishable by the penalty referred to in subarticle 1 above. 64