On 10 September 2024, judges at the Wamena District Court acquitted Melianus Baye and Benny Elopore (see photos on top and below, source: Paham Papua), two minors who had been arrested in the regency of Yahukimo, Papua Pegunungan Province, on 22 February 2024. The students, both 16 years old, were accused of involvement in the shooting of an airplane on 17 February 2024. After a prolonged legal process, the judge ultimately acquitted both defendants, acknowledging their juvenile status and finding them not guilty of the charges brought against them.
The circumstances surrounding their arrest were deeply troubling. Melianus Baye and Benny Elopore were arbitrarily detained by military personnel while bathing in the Brazza River in Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency. The arrest occurred shortly after an armed clash between military forces and a TPNPB member in the vicinity. Despite the TPNPB’s subsequent statement confirming that the two minors were not affiliated with their organisation, the youths were nonetheless detained and accused of involvement in an aircraft shooting before the incident.
Throughout their detention, serious concerns were raised by human rights organizations regarding the treatment of minors. During the one-week interrogation at the Yahukimo Resort Police, the two defendants were beaten, their feet and hands were tied, and they were told to confess to shooting at the aircraft without legal counsel. They were then flown to Jayapura and detained at the Papua Regeional Police Detention Centre for approximately 4 months until June when they were transferred to the Jayawijaya District Attorney’s Office and tried at the Wamena District Court from 25 June 2024 until the acquittal on 10 September 2024, approximately 2 months later.
The Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) repeatedly attempted to provide legal assistance to the defendants but was denied access by investigators from the Papua Police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation and General Crimes. This obstruction of legal representation violated both international human rights standards and Indonesia’s own Criminal Procedure Code. The denial of access to legal counsel also raised suspicions about potential attempts to conceal further acts of torture during detention.
The events underscored broader issues of transparency, fairness, and human rights violations in the handling of such cases in West Papua.
Trial against Melianus Baye and Benny Elopore at the Wamena District Court
