Amnesty International Indonesia (AII) published a statement on 2 December 2017, in which the human rights organisation demanded Indonesian authorities to immediately conduct an independent, impartial and effective investigation into allegations of torture leading to the death of Ishak Yaguar in the Kimaam District of Merauke Regency, Papua Province. AII further emphasized the state’s obligation to ensure justice by prosecuting the perpetrators in a fair trial and called for all cases of human rights violations and crimes under international law to be tried before civilian courts as required by international human rights treaties to which Indonesia is a party.
On 18 November 2017 at 11pm, four military members from the Yalet Post came to the house of Ishak Yaguar in relation to protest, which had taken place in Woner Village on 15 November 2017. At that time Ishak was was sleeping inside the house. According to his family, the army dragged Ishak out of his house, stripped him of his clothing, kicked him, and beat him with a wood stick while taking him to Yalet Military Post, about 800 meters away. On the morning of 19 December, military personnel brought Ishak to the Kimaam Police Precinct, where he was transferred to the custody of police officers. In the afternoon, one of Ishak’s family members was prevented from visiting him by officers at the police station. In the evening, Ishak’s family received information from the police that he had been transferred to a hospital in Kimaam. Later that night, one of Ishak’s family members found out that Ishak had died.
At a public ceremony on 22 November, a local military commander from the Yalet Military Post displayed an agreement signed by military personnel from Yalet Military Post and a person whom the military claimed was a representative of Ishak’s family. The document specified that the family and the local military forces would settle the case through a non-judicial process. During the ceremony, the local military commander gave Ishak’s father IDR 50 million (around USD 3,700). However, most of Ishak’s family did not acknowledged the agreement and one of the family’s representatives told Amnesty International Indonesia that they want to continue the case through a judicial process.
Download Public Statement on the case in English here
Download Public Statement on the case in Bahasa Indonesia here
