Responding to the verdict by the Makassar District Court which found four Papuan political activists from Sorong guilty of treason, Amnesty International Indonesia Deputy Director Wirya Adiwena said:
"The prison sentences imposed on these four activists for treason reaffirm the pattern of criminalisation of freedom of expression in Papua. They were criminalised simply for peacefully expressing their political aspirations by visiting several government offices in Sorong city.
The courts are the last resort for citizens to seek justice based on human rights in the criminal legal process. Instead of siding with human rights, the Makassar District Court appears to be a tool to repress the freedom of expression of indigenous Papuans who voice their political aspirations peacefully.
Political aspirations expressed peacefully without violence are a human right guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution, specifically Article 28E, and international instruments ratified by Indonesia, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
These four Papuan political activists did not use violence in expressing their aspirations. However, the state responded to their aspirations with criminalisation through the rubber (catch all) articles on treason.
The accusation by law enforcement officials that their actions are classified as "crimes against state security" is baseless. Sending letters and making political claims is not a crime, let alone treason.
Furthermore, this decision is inconsistent with the actions of the Indonesian President, who last August granted amnesty to six political prisoners in a similar case. The state's inconsistency only demonstrates the lack of respect for human rights in dealing with political expression in Papua.
Therefore, the state must immediately and unconditionally release the four activists. No citizen, including indigenous Papuans, should be criminalised for expressing their political views or aspirations. Punishing peaceful expression will only deepen the Papuan people's distrust of the state and even hinder the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Papua."
Background
On Wednesday November 19 the Makassar District Court in South Sulawesi sentenced four Papuan political activists from Sorong, Southwest Papua Province, to seven months in prison for treason. They are Abraham Goram Gaman, Piter Robaha, Nikson Mai and Maksi Sangkek, according to a credible source from Amnesty International at the Makassar District Court today, November 19.
Previously, the public prosecutor at the hearing on November 4 demanded an eight-month prison sentence and 5,000 rupiah in court costs for "committing, ordering or participating in treason with the intent to cause all or part of the state's territory to fall into enemy hands or to separate part of the state's territory", as stipulated in Article 106 in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on treason.
The four political activists, who admit to being members of the Federal Republic of West Papua (NFRPB), were arrested by police on April 28 after visiting several government offices in Sorong city.
According to the indictment read out by the public prosecutor, the offices they visited on April 14, 2025 included the Sorong mayor's office, the Southwest Papua governor's office, the Southwest Papua People's Assembly (MRP) offices, the Southwest Papua Regional Police and the Sorong City Police.
Their purpose in visiting these offices was to deliver a letter from NFRPB President Forkorus Yaboisembut containing statements and political claims from the NFRPB, including a letter requesting peace negotiations with the President of the Republic of Indonesia.
The authorities also confiscated documents related to the NFRPB organisation, including uniforms resembling police and military uniforms, as well as identification documents for the organisation's membership.
Although the case took place in Sorong city, the authorities transferred the four activists to Makassar for trial last August. No specific reason was given for their trial being held in Makassar, but their transfer from Sorong sparked protests by their families and the community.
Amnesty International does not take a position on the political status of any province in Indonesia, including calls for independence. However, in our opinion, freedom of expression includes the right to peacefully express one's views or political solutions.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Bebaskan empat aktivis politik Papua asal Sorong dari hukuman penjara".]
