Tag: Abepura prison

Police disperse humanitarian action in Jayapura

JUBI, 19 July 2012
Note: The bulk of this posting was posted yesterday but we are re-posting it with an important addition from Andreas Harsono. TAPOL]

Note: The Papuan Solidarity  for Human Rights Victims, SKPHP, is the
organization which supports political prisoners, including Filep
Karma, in Papua. They regularly do fund raising to buy medicines for
the prisoners. In 2010, they did a specific campaign for Filep Karma,
raising around $3,000 from the streets. Now the Indonesian police
stopped them from doing that on the grounds that SKPHP has no legal
entity.

Regarding Filep Karma’s fund raising, we have now raised IDR116
million. It is enough to do the surgery in Jakarta. He will meet his
local doctor, Donald Arrongear, this week. SKPHP and Karma are still
negotiating with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights about he goes
directly to the PGI hospital in Jakarta (without going to the Jakarta
prison first). They’re also suspicious with a new prison guard from
Java Island who wants to accompany him to Jakarta.

Police disperse humanitarian action in Jayapura

JUBI, 19 July 2012

The police in Papua forcibly dispersed  a humanitarian action taking
place when Papuans were out collecting money to help political
prisoners. They were from an organisation called Solidarity  for Human
Rights Victims, SKPHP. The police said that they had dispersed the
people because the SKPHP  has not registered with the provincial
administration.

The news was confirmed by Peneas Lokbere, a member of the SKPHP, who
told JUBI that before undertaking the action they had notified the
police of their intentions in both Abepura and Jayapura. Having done
this, it meant that the police would grant permission for the action
to take place.

Nevertheless, while the action was in progress on Friday at 1pm, the
police dispersed those taking part in the action. ‘We were forcibly
dispersed,’ said Peneas. ‘They said that this was because  we had not
registered the organisation with the authorities. and therefore, we
were not allowed to continue with this collection of funds.’ He also
said that after the police came to disperse the action, they dispersed
peacefully.’We did not offer any resistance. If we had resisted, it
would have led to a lengthy process.’

Peneas said that  they would follow up their action on Friday, 20
July. ‘We will go to the police and ask for permission to continue
with action.’

The street collections were being undertaken to provide for the
medical requirements of the political prisoners and the other prisoner
who are  ill at the prisons in Abepura and Jayapura. Among those who
are ill in Abepura Prison are Filep Karma, Ferdinand Pakage and Jefrai
Murib.

Their intention was to carry out this action from 9am Thursday 19 July
until Saturday.21 July.

[Translated by TAPOL]

The article is illustrated by a photo showing a large banner which
says: ‘The government doesn’t want to pay for medical treatment for
Filep Karma and Ferdinand Pakage’.   They are carrying posters which
say: ‘The Papuan  political prisoners are not criminals.’

Related articles
0

Prison warders beat and kick more than forty prisoners

JUBI, 10 May 2012

At least 42 prisoners – both political and criminal – have been beaten by warders in Abepura Prison where they are being held,  with these beatings occurring on 30 April.

According to information from the Justice, Peace and Creation Secretariat (SKPKC) in Jayapura, the prisoners who were beaten included Selfius Bobii, Luis Kossay, Terianus Tabuni, Wayus Hubi, Markus Dubi, Stenly Palondong, Alfian Palendeng, Erens Apromis, Octo Ikinia and Fredy Marsyom.

Some of them were beaten until they were black and blue all over. Selsius Bobii said he had ben slapped, hit and kicked all over his body. He was then dragged into the prison office. Luis Kossay said that he had been struck by a bludgeon, by iron rods and beaten with a rope and while being beaten he was kicked and then dragged out of his cell, dragged 200 metres and thrown into the yard. In the yard, his fingers and toes were stamped on by warders with their heavy boots. After suffering all this, he was ordered to remain in a half-squatting position for an hour.Three other prisoners were subjected to the same painful treatment and the rest were also beaten and kicked without mercy.

These acts of maltreatment occurred on 30 April and began when Selpius Bobii and some other prisoners asked the warders not to lock their cell doors because they wanted to practise singing some songs for their co prisoners. However, he was ordered out of his cell and taken to stand before the security official  who refused to grant him permission to do this. Selpius tried to explain that they wanted to rehearse some songs to be recorded later on, but permission was refused. and he was ordered to return to his cell.

Selpius said later that the previous warder, Ayurbaba, had given them permission to do these things and had allowed the prisoners to have recreational activities. When the new chief warder Liberty Sinijak heard this going on, he came out and started shouting at Selpius. In response Selpius shouted back, saying that the warders were doing nothing to help the prisoners but only trying to crush them.

The chief warder shouted back and ordered Selpius into the isolation wing. When the other prisoners in their cells heard all this shouting, they started calling out to the warders to stop maltreating Selpius.

Related articles
3

Selpius Bobii disappeared briefly by prison authorities objecting to music rehersal

May 3, 2012

by West Papua Media sub-editors*

As preparations were underway for mass non-violent demonstrations across West Papua on Monday, 30 April, an incident occurred simultaneously inside Abepura prison between prison guards and inmates. Local stringers informed West Papua Media that Selpius Bobii, one of the ‘Jayapura Five’ political prisoners (and organisers of the Third Papuan People’s Congress) had a verbal confrontation with a prison officer during lunch time, after prison officials refused his permission for a music rehearsal.

“The incident occurs between prisoners and prison officers April 30th, 2012”, said Gustaf Kawer, legal representative of  the ‘Jayapura Five’  political prisoners.

A simple misunderstanding escalated into armed prison security forces sweeping and raiding inmates’ cells on Monday evening.  West Papua Media was notified through local stringers on Tuesday that around 10pm, Monday, West Papuan local time, Selpius Bobii was taken out from his cell and taken away. Simultaneously, sweeping was carried out inside the prison that left several inmates bruised and beaten, and all inmates locked down indefinitely in isolation in their cells.

The West Papua Media team made direct contact on Tuesday night to the ironically named Head of Abepura Prison, Liberty Sutinja.  Mr. Sutinjah said he “was not at liberty to speak over the phone due to (prison) protocol.”

West Papua Media rang Mr Sutinja again today, Thursday, 03 May 2012, around 11am local time but he refused to speak and switch off his mobile phone after the third attempt.

Mr. Kawer further mentioned that as of Monday, from May 1 to 7, 2012, visits and access to prisoners – including Mr. Yaboisembut and Mr. Waromi – from families, clergy and lawyers are effectively closed.

Kawar urgently calls for the Regional Office and Human Rights Office of Papua Province to open up access to the detainees in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The regulations regarding visits outlines the terms and procedure guaranteed for prisoners rights to have access and visits whilst in prison.

Article 1, paragraph 32/1999 states that, “every prisoners and juveniles are entitled to receive visits from family, legal counsel or other or appointed person”.

Since Tuesday, unconfirmed reports sent to West Papua Media via SMS are stating that Selpius Bobii was believed to be transferred to Polda Papua – Papua Regional Police prison.

As this article went to press, information was provided by credible legal sources to West Papua Media that Selpius Bobii will be taken back to Abepura prison tomorrow, Friday, 04 May, 2012. According to the source, activities should be back to normal and prison visits from families are reinstated as of 3 May 2012.

westpapuamedia

*West Papua Media’s Editor is away recovering from serious health issues.

Related articles
0

Ferdinand Pakage needs medical treatment, says SKPHP

JUBI, 17 February 2011

Peneas Lokbere, the chairman of SKPHP HAM Papua (Solidarity for the Victims of Human Rights Violations in Papua) has declared that they will continue to press for medical treatment for Ferdinand Pakage, a political prisoner, who is suffering from a badly damaged eye which has blinded him in one eye.

‘We will continue to fight for treatment after he was struck in the eye by an official of the Abepura Prison. This caused his eye to bleed and he is now not able to see any more with this eye.’

Lokbere said that what he really needs is a new eye but since this is not at present realistic, he must immediately get medical treatment to cure his current condition. In fact, Pakage’s family want him to have an eye transplant.

At present SKPHP is working closely with his family for the prison authorities to speed up medical attention to his condition. He said that they have been pressing for this since last year, when they sought permission for him to go to Jakarta, but the director of the prison, Liberti Sitinjak, said he would not allow the prisoner to leave Jayapura.

‘In 2010, Ferdinand heard a doctor at the General Hospital in Dok II say that he needs to have an operation in Jakarta. The doctor said that his eye was badly damaged and that even if he does get medication in Jakarta, he will continue to be blind.’

Ferdinand Pakage is a victom of the bloody UNCEN case which occurred on 16 March 2006. Actually, he knew nothing about what happened during that incident. When the incident was over, he left his house whereupon he was arrested and handcuffed by the police. He was accused of being involved in the killing of several members of Brimob when they were surrounded by a number of people.

After he was transferred to Abepura, he was tortured and struck by three prison warders: Alberth Toam, Victor Apono and Gustaf Rumaikewi. It was Alberth Toam who hit him in the face with a key. This struck him in the right eye which began to bleed.

He is currently being held with narcotics prisoners in the district of Jayapura.

Related Articles
0

Prisoners’s lawyer concerned about health of her client in Nabire Prison

JUBI, 15 February 2011
Latifa Anum Siregar, the lawyer acting for the prisoner, Kimanus Wenda, has written to the authorities calling for her client to be moved from Nabire Prison to Jayapura in order to receive the medical attention he needs.
She said that he is suffering from a tumour. She said she had written to the provincial office of the law and human rights ministry on 4 February when she explained that Kimanus Wenda had been undergoing treatment for a long time, facilitated by the medical personnel in Nabire Prison who have now said that he must be operated on at the earliest opportunity.

However because of the lack of medical equipment available in Nabire and for family reasons, Kimanus Wenda should be moved to Jayapura where he would have the support of his family and a lawyer during medication and the operation. She has asked the Nabire Hospital to issue a letter calling for him to receive medical treatment and to be operated on in Jayapura.

2

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑