TAPOL and Kaki Abu Legal Aid Institute (LBH Kaki Abu) released a video entitled “LK dan Pusaran Kerasan di Papua (LK and Systemic State Violence in Papua)” on 29 December 2021. The campaign video calls for the release of 14-year-old LK, a child accused of having broken the law (ABH) in Maybrat, #WestPapua. LK was subjected to torture and forced to undergo an unfair trial. TAPOL encourages viewers and human rights observers to call on the court to free LK unconditionally and call on the Indonesian Government to provide justice for all victims of violence in West Papua.
LK himself testified he was staying in the village of Susumuk as the attack against the Kisor military post occurred. LK, YA and MS deny any wrong doing or involvement in the attack. The three minors were arrested in the Kokas Village along with three (2 adults, 1 minors) other internally displaced Papuans on 28 September 2021. The lawyers argue that the arrest, prosecution and sentencing of LK also resulted from many criminal procedure breaches during the law enforcement process. Police officers reportedly tortured the arrestees. Their hands were tied, and their eyes blindfolded with tape. Police officers beat and electrocuted the detainees, stapled their ears and forced them to lick their blood from the floor.
On 3 December 2021, judges of the Sorong district court found LK, guilty of murder and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment. The lawyers have appealed against the verdict. Two other minors, YA and MS, will still have to stand trial in relation to the attack against the Kisor military post, where four soldiers were killed. Lawyers representing the defendants in court called upon the Indonesian Judicial Commission and Child Protection Commission to monitor the trials and ensure that all state actors follow criminal procedure and juvenile justice provisions. (*)
