Jayapura, Jubi – On Tuesday, July 18, 2023, three students who participated in a protest at the University of Science and Technology Jayapura (USTJ) on November 10, 2022, were charged with treason and sentenced to 18 months in prison by the public prosecutor.
The accused students are Yoseph Ernesto Matuan, Devio Tekege, and Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere. During the protest, they raised the Morning Star flags and voiced opposition to the Papua peace dialogue plan initiated by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
Following the protest, the police dispersed the gathering and arrested several participants, leading to treason charges against the three students. The case was brought before the Jayapura District Court.
During the trial, the public prosecutor presented evidence that Yoseph Ernesto Matuan, Devio Tekege, and Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere were proven to have committed treason. The prosecutor asserted that their actions fulfilled all the elements of Article 106 of the Criminal Code, in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
The prosecutor emphasized that the defendants had no justifications for their actions, and they should be held accountable for their unlawful conduct. Furthermore, the prosecutor pointed out that the defendants were considered recidivists in the same case, as they sought to secede from the Republic of Indonesia, causing disturbance in the community.
The prosecution requested the panel of judges to declare the defendants guilty of the crime of treason. The indictment proposed a sentence of one year and six months in prison, with a reduction for time already spent in detention. (*)
