13 May 2013 accountability demonstration

13/05/2013

Victor Yeimo was prosecuted for his participation in a peaceful pro-referendum demonstration on March 2009 in Jayapura city. He was charged with treason and incitement under articles 106 and 160, and sentenced to one year imprisonment. Yeimo was released in October 2010.

His latest arrest came on 13 May 2013, when police stopped a group of demonstrators in Jayapura from carrying out a march demanding government accountability in the wake of the deaths, arrests and injuries from the commemorative events of 1 May 2013. Yeimo and three other activists, Yongky Ulimpa, Ely Kobak and Marthen Manngaprouw were arrested when he attempted to negotiate with the police to allow the march to proceed. A local human rights source present at the demonstration states that all four were severely beaten upon arrest and were allegedly hit with rattan canes, kicked and beaten in detention. Yeimo is the only one that currently remains in detention, and has been transferred to Abepura prison.

Local sources report that he has been held in relation to the case in 2009, where he was charged with incitement and sentenced to one-year imprisonment. Papuan police spokesman Gede Sumerta, alleged that Yeimo had escaped from prison in October 2010, instead of having been released.  He is expected to complete a three-year sentence in relation to the 2009 incident. This is despite statements made by his lawyers that he received a one-year sentence.

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