News Desk – Viktor Yeimo’s Treason Case Trial

January 17, 2023

The silent action mobilized by the West Papua National Committee or KNPB which was held in front of the Jayapura District Court, on Tuesday (17/1/2023), demanded the unconditional release of Viktor Yeimo. – Jubi/Theo Kelen

Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee or KNPB held a silent demonstration in front of the Jayapura District Court, on Tuesday (17/1/2023). They demanded that Viktor Yeimo be released unconditionally.

The demonstrators carried leaflets and posters as a form of protest against Viktor Yeimo’s detention. In the text of the poster, the demonstrators demanded that Viktor Yeimo be released unconditionally. They considered Yeimo to be a victim of legal criminalization and a victim of racist discrimination.

The National Spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee or KNPB Center, Ones Suhuniap, stated that Viktor Yeimo was a victim of racist discrimination. Suhuniap stated that for more than 60 years Papuans were seen as backward and second-class human beings in Indonesia.

Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee or KNPB held a silent demonstration in front of the Jayapura District Court, on Tuesday (17/1/2023). They demanded that Viktor Yeimo be released unconditionally.

The demonstrators carried leaflets and posters as a form of protest against Viktor Yeimo’s detention. In the text of the poster, the demonstrators demanded that Viktor Yeimo be released unconditionally. They considered Yeimo to be a victim of legal criminalization and a victim of racist discrimination.

The National Spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee or KNPB Center, Ones Suhuniap, stated that Viktor Yeimo was a victim of racist discrimination. Suhuniap stated that for more than 60 years Papuans were seen as backward and second-class human beings in Indonesia.

The silent action mobilized by the West Papua National Committee or KNPB which was held in front of the Jayapura District Court, on Tuesday (17/1/2023), demanded the unconditional release of Viktor Yeimo. – Jubi/Theo Kelen

Currently Yeimo is undergoing trial for alleged treason at the Jayapura District Court. The alleged treason case that was charged against Viktor Yeimo was registered with case number 376/Pid.Sus/2021/PN Jap on August 12, 2021. The trial was chaired by a panel of judges chaired by Mathius SH MH with member judges Andi Asmuruf SH and Linn Carol Hamadi SH (new panel of judges).

On 21 February 2021, the Public Prosecutor charged Viktor Yeimo with treason because he was involved in a demonstration against Papuan anti-racism which led to mass rioting in Jayapura City on 29 August 2019.

The Public Prosecutor used four different articles, namely Article 106 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code (jointly committing treason with the intention that all or part of the country’s territory falls into the hands of the enemy or separates parts of the country’s territory), Article 110 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code (concerning the conspiracy to commit treason), Article 110 paragraph (2) to 1 of the Criminal Code (attempting to mobilize other people to commit, order to commit or participate in committing so as to provide assistance when committing or provide opportunities, means or information for committing the crime of treason), Article 160 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code (concerning verbally or in writing inciting to commit criminal acts, commit violence against public authorities or not comply with both statutory provisions and position orders given based on provisions Constitution).

Suhuniap stated that Papuans always accept racist discrimination. He stated that in the 19 August 2019 case Viktor Yeimo as a Papuan participated in the demonstration because he did not accept the hate speech.

Suhuniap stated that Yeimo was a victim of legal criminalization. Because the alleged treason charge against Yeimo is irrelevant because the anti-racism demonstration was carried out spontaneously by the Papuan people. Yeimo was involved in the demonstration because he felt that his dignity as a Papuan was being humiliated.

“So in the anti-racism protests in Papua because the Papuan people feel their dignity as a human being is humiliated,” he said.

Aksi diam yang dimobilisasi Komite Nasional Papua Barat atau KNPB yang digelar di depan PN Jayapura, pada Selasa (17/1/2023), menuntut pembebasan Viktor Yeimo tanpa syarat. – Jubi/Theo Kelen

Suhuniap stated that the arrest and detention as well as the legal process against Yeimo were a form of criminalization and silencing Papuan activists. Because the perpetrators of racism in Surabaya in 2019 which were allegedly committed by security forces have not been brought to justice.

“Viktor as a pro-independence Papuan activist is deliberately criminalized,” he said.

Until this news was published, the trial with the agenda of hearing the prosecutor’s response to the exception of Yeimo’s legal adviser had not yet taken place. It is planned that the trial will begin at 1 pm Papua time. (*)

——————————————

https://en.jubi.id/bem-alliance-across-papua-calls-for-viktor-yeimo-to-be-released-unconditionally/

2) BEM alliance across Papua calls for Viktor Yeimo to be released unconditionally 

News Desk – Viktor Yeimo’s Treason Trial 17 January 2023

Viktor Yeimo (right, in blue shirt and hat) with his legal counsel, Emanuel Gobay in one of the rooms of Abepura Correctional Institution in Jayapura City, Thursday (12/1/2023), to wait for a doctor to check Yeimo’s health before being placed in a detention cell. – Jubi/Theo Kelen

Jayapura, Jubi – An alliance of all-Papua Student Executive Board (BEM) in Jayapura City on Monday, January 16, 2023, called for the unconditional release of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Viktor Yeimo. According to the students, Yeimo is a victim of criminalization and a racial discrimination.

The alliance consists of BEM of Cenderawasih University, BEM of University of Science and Technology Jayapura, BEM of Muhammadiyah University of Papua, BEM of Ottow and Geissler, BEM of Satya Witaya Manda University (USWIM) Nabire, BEM of College of Management and Informatics (STIMIK) Nabire, BEM Nusantara Papua Representative and Economics Student Association Papua Representative.

Cristian Kobak of the Cenderawasih University BEM said the legal treatment for Papuan people was unfair, as shown in Viktor Yeimo’s case, wherein his legal process had not been completed until now.

Yeimo is currently undergoing trial for alleged treason at the Jayapura District Court. The trial was led by a panel of judges chaired by Mathius, with member judges Andi Asmuruf and Linn Carol Hamadi.

On February 21, 2021, the public prosecutor charged Viktor Yeimo with treason for his involvement in the Papuan anti-racism rally that turned into a mass rampage in Jayapura City on August 29, 2019. The public prosecutor charged four different articles, namely Article 106 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code (jointly committing treason with the intention to separate part and territory of the state), Article 110 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code (conspiring to commit treason), Article 110 paragraph (2) to 1 of the Criminal Code (attempting to move others to commit or participate in committing, or provide assistance at the time of committing, or provide opportunity, means or information to commit the crime of treason), Article 160 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code (orally or in writing inciting to commit a criminal act, violence against the public authority or disobey either the provisions of the law or an official order given under the provisions of the law).

Kobak said the arrest of Viktor Yeimo was not in accordance with the law, because Yeimo voiced the injustice and racial discrimination experienced by the Papuan people. Viktor Yeimo, therefore, according to Kobak, was arrested because the State would not let Papua to separate. He said the State was too imposing in its desire to govern Papuans through policies implemented in the Land of Papua.

“Jakarta [the central government] considers Papuans incompetent. So they think what is good for Jakarta is also good for Papuam therefore Jakarta’s policies continue to be applied in Papua even though it is not necessarily good for Papuans,” he said.

BEM representative of Jayapura University of Science and Technology Holland Silak said that Yeimo’s arrest showed the State still applied racial politics against Papuans. According to Silak, Yeimo is an innocent victim of racial discrimination and should be released unconditionally.

“Viktor Yeimo is a victim of racism itself. He is not the perpetrator,” Silak said. (*)