Papua, Jubi – Two West Papuans have been sentenced to more than a year in an Indonesian prison over a rebellion.
The jail terms come as several cases are being levelled against West Papuan activists and rebels in the restive region.
Yakonias Womsiwor and Erichzon Mandobar were detained in September when authorities raided the office of a Papuan independence group.
According to their lawyer, on Tuesday a judge in the Timika district court sentenced Mr Womsiwor to one year and six months jail.
His co-defendant got one year and three months in prison.
Both were sentenced under a criminal law for coercion and rebellion.
Lawyer Veronica Koman says she’s considering an appeal of the judgement.
During their arrests in Timika, the defendants were shot several times and denied medical attention until rights groups brought attention to their case.
Mr Womsiwor was shot six times in total, while Mr Mandobar was shot once, according to Amnesty International and Ms Koman.
“They were shot without warning as the law required,” Ms Koman said, adding that they were later allowed to be treated by their families.
Their arrests were part of a raid on the Timika secretariat of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), which was later seized by police.
Earlier in the trial, police and prosecutors had claimed the men were found with ammunition and guns, which the defendants denied was theirs, according to Ms Koman.
She said during the trial two police officers, including a deputy police chief, called as witnesses testified that military personnel had placed the ammunition and guns at the KNPB offices.
Ms Koman added that the sentencing on Monday did not give proper consideration to statements made by the defence.
The sentences come just days after a Polish tourist was jailed for five years for plotting to sell arms to West Papuan rebels. (*)
Source: RNZI
