West Papua: Prison warders beat over forty prisoners

10 May 2012

Prison warders beat and kick more than forty prisoners

At least 42 prisoners - both political and criminal - have been beaten by warders in Abepura Prison where they are being held. These beatings occurring on 30 April.

According to information from the Justice, Peace and Creation Secretariat (SKPKC) in Jayapura, the prisoners who were beaten included Selfius Bobii, Luis Kossay, Terianus Tabuni, Wayus Hubi, Markus Dubi, Stenly Palondong, Alfian Palendeng, Erens Apromis, Octo Ikinia and Fredy Marsyom.

Some of them were beaten until they were black and blue all over. Selsius Bobii said he had ben slapped, hit and kicked all over his body. He was then dragged into the prison office. Luis Kossay said that he had been struck by a bludgeon, by iron rods and beaten with a rope and while being beaten he was kicked and then dragged out of his cell, dragged 200 metres and thrown into the yard. In the yard, his fingers and toes were stamped on by warders with their heavy boots. After suffering all this, he was ordered to remain in a half-squatting position for an hour. Three other prisoners were subjected to the same painful treatment and the rest were also beaten and kicked without mercy.

These acts of maltreatment occurred on 30 April and began when Selpius Bobii and some other prisoners asked the warders not to lock their cell doors because they wanted to practise singing some songs for their co prisoners. However, he was ordered out of his cell and taken to stand before the security official who refused to grant him permission to do this. Selpius tried to explain that they wanted to rehearse some songs to be recorded later on, but permission was refused, and he was ordered to return to his cell.

Selpius said later that the previous warder, Ayurbaba, had given them permission to do these things and had allowed the prisoners to have recreational activities. When the new chief warder Liberty Sinijak heard this going on, he came out and started shouting at Selpius. In response Selpius shouted back, saying that the warders were doing nothing to help the prisoners but only trying to crush them.

The chief warder shouted back and ordered Selpius into the isolation wing. When the other prisoners in their cells heard all this shouting, they started calling out to the warders to stop maltreating Selpius.

ENDS

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