Asian Human Rights Commission to call on UN over alleged torture in West Papua

Papuan freedom activist

The Asian Human Rights Commission says it is writing to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture about the arbitrary arrest and torture of seven West Papuans.

The arrests took place near Jayapura, the capital of Indonesia’s Papua province late last week.

The group of seven were stopped in traffic by police looking for two pro-independence activists.

The Commission says the Papuans were brought to the police station where they were further questioned on the whereabouts of the activists.

They were severely beaten, kicked and electrocuted before being five of them were released without charge the next day, with two reportedly still in police custody.

The Commission has called on Indonesian authorities to investigate and for medical assistance to be directed to the group who were arrested for the injuries they sustained.

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