Three Papuans found guilty of treason and sentenced to two years

On 12 June 2023, judges at the Makassar District Court found three Papuan defendants guilty of treason and criminal conspiracy against the state as stipulated under Article 106 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) and Article 110 KUHP. Mr Kostan Karlos Bonay, 85, Mr Andreas Sanggenafa, 65, and Mr Hellesvred Bezalle Soleman Waropen, 55, were sentenced to two years imprisonment each.

The defendants were arrested on 19 October 2022 in the town of Manokwari, Papua Barat Regency, during worship in commemoration of the 11^th anniversary of the Federal Republic of West Papua (NFRPB). Previously, the public prosecutor had demanded a four-year prison sentence for each defendant. The panel of judges handed down a sentence of two years. According to the panel of judges, the evidence and defendants’ testimonies in court had proven the fulfilment of all legal elements of treason.

The panel of judges granted the defendants and their legal counsels a period of 7 to 14 days to appeal the verdict. The defendants’ legal counsel announced they would await the prosecutor’s decision before taking further legal steps. They called upon the judges that the defendants should be detained in Manokwari rather than in the Makassar Detention Centre, where relatives could regularly visit them and ensure access to food.

Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Pengadilan Negeri Makassar (-5.1347488007025, 119.41370357557706)
administrative region: Indonesia, Sulawesi Selatan Province, Makassar City
total number of victims: three
period of incident: 12.06.2023
perpetrator: judiciary
perpetrator details: unknown
Issues: freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, indigenous peoples, criminalisation
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