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West Papua

Found guilty by judges, Yanwaris Sewa sentenced to 18 years in prison

The Continuation of the hearing for the verdict for case number: PDM-18/R.2.11/Eoh.2/02/2023, against Yanwaris Sewa, on Thursday 22nd June 2023 at Sorong State Court, at a court led by the Chief Judge, Bernadus Papendang, along with Rivai Rasyid Takuboya and Lutfi Tomu serving as other judges, attended by the Public Prosecutor along with the accused and his legal team.

Three West Papuans charged with treason for holding religious service to mark pro-independence organisation's anniversary

Three West Papuans have been charged with treason and face up to 4 years in prison for holding a peaceful  religious service. The judges must be fair and objective and acquit Karlos Bonay, Andreas Sanggenafa and Soleman Waropen, because expressing opinions and peaceful assembly are human rights protected by national and international law!

 

  

TAPOL's Latest Report - West Papua 2022: Laws, arrests and harassment worsens, despite Jakarta’s sweet words

With the ink now drying on the laws creating the new provinces in West Papua, claimed by Jakarta to have support from Papuans, TAPOL’s new report, 'West Papua 2022: Freedom Of Expression And Freedom Of Assembly', shows a picture of increasing incidents, including  arrests, dispersals, intimidation and killings for expressing dissent. This belies a declining situation of Freedom of Assembly and Expression in West Papua. The report highlights that: “...the continued worsening trend, despite new initiatives, promises and approaches by the government, shows that it is not working to actively improve the state of Freedom of Expression and Assembly in West Papua”.

West Papua 2022 Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Assembly Full Report

West Papua in 2022 has seen increasing clampdowns on freedom of assembly and expression, including increasing arrests, clamping down on demonstrations, and the harassment or worse of people seeking to uphold and defend rights, particularly human right defenders and the media. It has also been a year of big events which has given a high level of exposure to Indonesia: the much anticipated division of Papua into many more provinces, the signing off of the new criminal code and the Universal Periodic Review of Indonesia at the UN.

Update on Viktor Yeimo's trial - delayed yet again

The agenda for the reading of the prosecution’s case in the trial of Viktor Yeimo on treason charges at Jayapura District Court on 17th April 2023 has been postponed for a second time. The reason given was the same as on the first occasion: the prosecution file from the public prosecutor is not ready because it still has to be coordinated with the Office of the Attorney-General.

TAPOL statement on the hostage-taking in Nduga, West Papua

It has been a month since Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was taken hostage by the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) in Nduga, in the highlands of Papua Pegunungan Province. Despite putting the West Papua issue back in the international spotlight, the hostage-taking of civilians is regrettable and unjustified based on international human rights and humanitarian norms.