Urgent Action: Papuan Political Activist Faces Life Imprisonment (Indonesia: UA 58.21)

Victor Yeimo, a pro-independence political activist from Papua and a spokesman for the West Papua National Committee, has been arbitrary arrested and charged with treason for peacefully protesting against racial discrimination in Indonesia. He’s been detained in a solitary confinement with severely restricted access to his family and lawyer. The Indonesian authorities must grant Victor Yeimo’s immediate release or prosecute him in a fair trial.

TAKE ACTION:

1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 58.21. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.

CONTACT INFORMATION

---

SAMPLE LETTER Dear Sir, I am writing to express my concern about Victor Yeimo who has been arrested for peaceful anti-racism protest. Mr Yeimo was accused of treason during the period of heightened tensions in West Papua over his protests in the August 19 – September 30, 2019 uprisings. As you will be aware, the incident swept across 23 towns in West Papua, 17 cities in Indonesia, and 3 cities overseas. In the aftermath of the event, 122 West Papuans were prosecuted. On May 9, 2021, the first evening of his detention, Mr Yeimo was moved from Papua province’s regional police detention centre in Jayapura to the Police’s Mobile Brigade Headquarters (Mako Brimob) in Abepura, without his lawyers being notified. He has been held in solitary confinement since, and access to his family and lawyer is more difficult than before. Mr Yeimo has a medical condition that requires him to get regular treatment. Mr. Yeimo has been accused of violating Article 106 on treason of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) and Article 110 of the KUHP on treason with conspiracy. As an addition to the charge, the Papua Police Chief suggested that one of the reasons behind his arrest was his participation at the 40th Session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in March 2019. This indicates that there is a political motivation to arbitrarily detain Mr. Yeimo. Therefore, I urge you to:

• Immediately release Victor Yeimo and drop all charges against him, unless there is sufficient credible and admissible evidence that he has committed an internationally recognized offence and is granted a fair trial in line with international standards,
• Ensure that he has regular, unrestricted access to his family and a lawyer of his choice in line with the right to a fair trial, and
• Ensure that he is protected from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and has access to adequate medical care on request or as necessary.

Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• READ THE FULL URGENT ACTION: Word or PDF
• GET INSPIRED: Read about the people you have helped
• READ TIPS for writing effective letters and emails
• CONTACT US: [email protected]