Police officers arrest and torture two Papuans for carrying a toy gun in Nabire

Police officers arbitrarily arrested and tortured two Papuan university students with the initials DT and ET at the Samabusa Harbour in Nabire on 17 December 2022. They claimed that DT and ET carried illegal firearms. Both men were arrested on the ship, and their hands and feet were tied. DT and ET (see photo, source: Suara Papua) were reportedly tortured inside the police car on the way from the harbour to the Nabire District Police Headquarters. The torture continued during interrogation at the police station until the police discovered that the seized gun was a toy gun. Thereupon, DT and ET were released the following day at 2.00 pm. Law Talent Legal Aid Institute (LBH TK) assisted the two students in reporting the torture to the Profession and Security Division (Propam).

Human rights defenders called upon the police to refrain from arbitrary arrest without solid evidence for a criminal offence. LBH TK director, Mr Richardani Nawipa, declared,” I assisted the victims of police violence in conducting a medical examination. We ask that the perpetrators be processed”.

Photos of the arrest

Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Polres Nabire (-3.367184103131985, 135.4998976026876)
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Province, Nabire Regency, Nabire District
total number of victims: two
period of incident: 17.12.2022
perpetrator: police
perpetrator details: unknown
Issues: torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, indigenous peoples
Sources:
Further HRM News:

NumberName, DetailsGenderAgeGroup AffiliationViolations
1DT, studentunknown unknown indigenoustorture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention
1ET, student unknown unknown indigenoustorture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention