Feb 10, 2009
Report on maltreatment of 7 Papuan prisoners
Tue, February 10, 2009 2:02 pm
According to a message sent out of West Papua on 8 February by Filep Karma, a West Papuan who is now serving a long sentence for flag-raising in 2004, a number of Papuan prisoners being held in Abepura Prison have been subjected to serious maltreatment.
He writes that Yusak Pakage and five other political prisoners, Selpius Bobii, Kosmos Yual, Nelson Rumbiak, Ricky Jitmau and Elias Tamaka, together with Buchtar Tabuni who is also being held in Abepura Prison were badly maltreated as a result of which they have suffered a number of injuries. One of Pakage’ eyelids was torn during the incident.
After being subjected to maltreatment, the seven prisoners were transferred to a tiny, very unhealthy cell with no windows. The floor of the cell was covered with faeces from prisoners who were previously held in the cell.
According to a message received from Sebby Sambom, they were isolated in the cell for four days without food or water.
Filep Karma reported that the seven men have since been transferred from the prison to a cell at the Papua Police headquarters in Jayapura where they are now being held. While being transported from Abepura to Jayapura, they were forced to remove all their clothes and left only in their underpants as a way of humiliating them.
Karma said he has been told by a prison officer that it was likely that the seven would be transferred to a military prison somewhere in Java.
Filep Karma said that the maltreatment began with the beating of Buchtar Tabuni who was arrested after leading a demonstration in Jayapura on 16 October last year that welcomed the establishment of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua in London on that day. A police official said that Buchtar Tabuni’s case was handed over to the public prosecutor’s office on 29 January. Since 5 December 2008, Buchtar has been held in police custody at the request of the public prosecutor while awaiting further developments in his case.
Soon after Buchtar Tabuni arrived in Abepura Prison he was subjected to maltreated that resulted in an injury to his eye. He is now unable to see properly because of the maltreatment.
Following the maltreatment of the seven prisoners, they made a formal protest to the director of the Abepura Prison. Following the protest, all the prisoners were subjected to maltreatment on 1 February.
The report also mentions the types of maltreatment used against the prisoners: punching, slapping the eye, kicking with jackboots, and slaps on the face and neck.
