Senior Papuan lawyer and director of the Manokwari Institute for Research, Assessment, and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH Manokwari), Mr Yan Christian Warinussy was shot with an air rifle on 17 July 2024. The incident happened around 04:25 pm after leaving Mandiri Bank Sanggeng in the town of Manokwari, Papua Barat Province. Police are investigating the incident. Mr Warinussi sustained a gunshot wound in the right side of the chest and was immediately admitted to the Manokwari General Hospital (RSUD Manokwari) for medical treatment (see photos below, source: independent HRDs).
The perpetrator and the motivation for the attack are currently not known. According to the information received, the shot was fired from a red minivan that escaped the site of the crime. So far, the police investigators have not been able to identify the perpetrator. Human rights observers expressed concerns that the attack could be related to Mr Warinussi’s participation in the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on West Papua, which took place in London in late June 2024. Various organisations inside and outside of West Papua have called upon the police to investigate the case promptly and thoroughly. The Papua Barat Police Chief, Mr Johnny Edison Isir, declared that his men would handle the case as a matter of priority.
Mr Warinussi is a senior human rights defender in West Papua and has received various national and international awards for his work, including the John Humphrey Freedom Award in 2005. He is also the spokesperson of the Papuan Peace Network (JDP).
Mr Yan Christian Warinussi receiving medical treatment at the Manokwari Hospital
