On 12 August 2024, police members arrested four members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) without showing a warrant at the Central Karang Market in Nabire, Papua Tengah Province. The activists distributed leaflets for a demonstration commemorating the New York Agreement on 15 August 2024. One of the activists was reportedly beaten during the arrest. Thereupon, they were detained and questioned at the police station.
The distribution of leaflets for demonstrations does not constitute a criminal act under Indonesian National Law and international human rights law. Therefore, it must be assumed that the police officers conducted the arrests without legal grounds. Moreover, under the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code (KUHP), police officers must provide a warrant at the time of the arrest (‘surat perintah tugas’ or ‘surat penangkapan’) if the suspect is not caught in the act of committing a criminal offence.
Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Pasar Karang Tumaritis (-3.3809838501681915, 135.5060675048643)
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Tengah Province, Nabire Regency, Nabire Town
total number of victims: four
period of incident: 12.08.2024
perpetrator: police
perpetrator details: Private Budi Herwanto and three other officers
Issues: freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, indigenous peoples, arbitrary arrest
Sources:
Further HRM News:
| Number | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 4 | unknown, KNPB | unknown | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression |
