According to information from the local news outlet Tabloid Jubi, the Papuan Regional Police (Polda Papua) has completed the investigation against the Polish citizen Jakup Febian Skrzypski (see intro image) and submitted the case files to the public prosecutor’s office in Wamena. According to Polda Papua spokesman Commissioner Kamal, the public prosecution has assessed the case files as complete and will soon initiate the trial against the Polish citizen. Jakup Skrzypski has been charged with the treason article 106 of the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. Skrzypski was arrested in Jayawijaya Regecency on 26 August 2018 – the police suspects him being involved in weapon trade with the armed separatist movement TPN – OPM.
Jakup Febian Skrzypski is currently detained at the Papua Regional Police Office in Jayapura. On 19.09.2018, he gave a letter to his lawyer, which describes the overall conditions at the detention facility as ‘bad’. According to Skrzypski, the facility is severely overcrowded. Many detainees have to sleep on the floor and share a limited number of bathrooms and toilets. He also expressed concerns over the hygiene conditions at the detention facility. The shower and the toilet are located in the same room – the detainees have to wash the dishes and clothes on the bathroom floor. The letter also describes the personal challenges that Jakup Skrzypski faces during detention. There is no non-smoking area at the detention facility and many detainees smoke. He did not bring his glasses and uses contact lenses – the conditions at the bathrooms, the cigarette smoke and the lack of cleaning equipment do not allow the proper hygiene of the lenses. Moreover, he is not allowed to have visitors providing him with basic supplies. Skrzypski stated in the letter that he feels discouraged, stressed and isolated, because he can’t talk to the other detainees and has no books to read. The sensory depravation already had strong impact on his mental health and eating behavior during detention.