By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

PAPUA, Indonesia – Amnesty International is calling on the Indonesian government to investigate the mistreatment of Ferdinand Pakage, a prisoner in Abepura Prison, after he was beaten by prison officers.

Pakage, who is currently serving a 15 year sentence after a dubious 2006 trial, was beaten by prison officers on 22 September.  The beating was witnessed by other prisoners and resulted in serious injury to Pakage’s hands, legs and left eye.  As of this writing there are no reports of Pakage’s current medical condition.  Prison officials began to beat Pakage after he was removed from solitary confinement.

In their report calling for the investigation, Amnesty International has reminded the Indonesia government that they are signatories to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment and that they are required to take effective measures to prevent torture and perform impartial investigations after torture is committed.

Amnesty International has also said that this beating, and others like it, have been allowed to continue because the Criminal Code has not been reformed.  They have said that the code must be reformed to provide a legal deterrent against beating and torturing prisoners during their detention.

For more information, please see:
Amnesty International – Ill-treatment of Papua prisoner must be investigated – 26 September 2008

Radio New Zealand International – Amnesty International calls on Indonesia authorities to act over detained Papuan – 26 September 2008