On 4 February 2026, military and correctional facility officers reportedly shot dead Mr Zet Tare, 32, an escaped detainee from Kaimana Correctional Facility, during an arrest operation near the Pertamina areal in Kaimana Town, Kaimana Regency, Papua Barat province. According to the information received, security officers released multiple gunshots at Mr Tare and subsequnetly subjetetd him to physical violence, causing him to die at the scene. His body was subsequently transported to Kaimana Regional Hospital.
Security personnel located and apprehended Mr Zet Tare around 11:00 pm. He had been listed as a fugitive (Daftar Pencarian Orang, DPO) after escaping from Kaimana Prison in December 2025. Residents reported hearing several gunshots, causing panic among the local community. According to a witness, officers opened fire at Mr Tare even though he did not resist arrest. After the shooting, officers transferred the body to the hospital morgue, with visible gunshot wounds and injuries to the back of the skull, as well as bleeding from the nose and mouth.
When Mr Tare’s relatives received information about the incident, they went to the Kaimana Regional Hospital. Upon arrival, she was informed that he had already been pronounced dead by medical personnel. Prison and military personnel reportedly prevented the family from taking the body home from the morgue, where the body was cleaned, projectiles removed and the bullet wounds covered. Family bodies were allowed to pick-up the body at noon on 5 February 2026. Military members and correctional officers escorted Mr Tare’s body together with relatives to the cemetery for burial. Following the failed arrest operation, the Kaimana Prison authorities did not issue a public statement clarifying the legal grounds for the use of firearms.
Human rights analysis
Under international human rights law, Indonesia is bound by Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), guaranteeing the inherent right to life, and Article 7 ICCPR prohibiting torture and ill-treatment. The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials strictly limit the use of lethal force to situations where it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. The reported circumstances of this case suggest potential non-compliance with these standards.
The fugitive status of a person does not extinguish the right to life, the presumption of innocence, or the right to due process. Law enforcement authorities remain bound by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and accountability when effecting an arrest. The reported use of lethal force against an unarmed suspect who allegedly did not resist raises serious concerns of extrajudicial execution. Allegations of physical assault prior to death further indicate possible violations of the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
In light of these allegations, an independent, prompt, thorough and impartial investigation consistent with the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016) is required. Such an investigation should involve Komnas HAM and independent forensic experts to ensure credibility and transparency. The authorities must preserve all ballistic, medical and scene-of-crime evidence and guarantee that the victim’s family is free from intimidation.
Detailed Case Data
Location: 8QV6+X5X, Kaimana Kota, Kaimana, Kaimana Regency, West Papua 98654, Indonesia (-3.6550002, 133.7604951) behind the Pertamina areal in Kaimana Town
Region: Indonesia, West Papua, Kaimana, Kaimana
Total number of victims: 1
#
Number of Victims
Name, Details
Gender
Age
Group Affiliation
Violations
1.
1
Zet Tare
male
32
Indigenous Peoples
execution, right to life, torture, unlawful killing
Perpetrator: Indonesian Military (TNI), Correctional Forces
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence