Mr.Michel Forst
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Email: defenders@ohchr.org;
Mr.David Kaye
UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
Email: freedex@ohchr.org; mdaher@ohchr.org
Ms. Gabriela Knaul
UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
Email: SRindependenceJL@ohchr.org
c/o Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva–Palais Wilson
CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Jakarta, 25 September 2014
Re: Individual Complaint on the Violation of Human Rights Defender by Anonymous Person in Papua, Indonesia
Name and address of alleged victim
Ms. Latifah Anum Siregar, a 46 year old human rights lawyer, lives in Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. The address of victim’s workplace, Alliance of Democracy for Papua (ALDP); Jln. Raya Sentani Padang Bulan -‐ Abepura, Jayapura, Papua 99351, Indonesia.
Status of the victim as a huma rights defender
Ms. Siregar is a human rights lawyer, Chairperson of the Alliance of Democracy for Papua (ALDP), and Front Line Defenders’ nominee for Human Rights Defenders a risk in 2008. She is working for democratization process, freedom and human rights issue in Papua.
Alleged violations committed against victim
Ms. Siregar was stabbed on her left shoulder and robbed by an unknown assailant on 16 September 2014 at 19.30 P.M. East Indonesian Time (WIT). She was walking on the side street near the hotel, in which she was staying, with a colleague, on their way to a stationary store after a pre -‐ trial court hearing of a case that they are currently working on.
While walking on the side street, they suspected that they were being followed, and they decided to stop for a while in order to let the man, whom they suspected was following them, walk past them. Shortly after,
someone has been standing in the rights side of Ms. Siregar, attacked Ms.Siregar and grabbed her bag, which contained her notes on the pre-‐trial court hearing that she was attending earlier that day, some personal documents (such as identification card, PERADI membership card (Bar Association Card), and ATM card, and cash in the amount of 3,8 million Indonesian Rupiah.
Ms. Siregar tried to retain her bag for a while, and was stabbed on her shoulder while doing so. Ms. Siregar and her colleague were screaming for help when the incident happened, but no one around responded to their plea. When the assailant successfully ran away with her bag, her colleague tried to follow him with a hired motorcycle driver, however, her colleague was not able to catch the assailant. After seeing that Ms. Siregar was hurt, her colleague took her to the hospital in order to receive the medical assistance that she needed.
Several days prior this incident, the victim had felt followed by some people. In addition, at the time of the trial in court, the victim also feels uncomfortable with the number of police and military personnel were present at the trial, in uniform, mostly weapons.
Alleged Perpetrator
Ms. Siregar and her colleague only described the person, whom she suspected was following her and her colleague, as a tall and thin male who was wearing a plain red t-‐shirt and a black pair of pants. They also
described the person who attacked and stole her bag as wearing a white hooded jacket and a pair of shorts. She could not describe the face of the assailant, however, she mentioned that she had seen the assailant leaning on a wall on the side street near the store that she was going to.
Action by authorities
Ms. Siregar reported the attack on 17 September 2014, when she reached Wamena Airport. She reported that she did not file a formal complaint about the attack to the police on 16 September 2014 because she and her colleague did not think that it was wise to do so in view of the fact that they are currently working on a case against the Jayawijaya District Police Chief (Kapolres Jayawijaya), Papua Province.
However, a commissioner of the Indonesia National Human Rights Commission (KOMNAS HAM), Mr. Otto Samsudin Ishak, visited Papua after the incident and met with Mr. Jotje Mende, Head of Provincial Police Office of Papua, on 22 September 2014, and the Head of Police promised to accomplish this case. The Commissioner of Komnas HAM also met with Civil Society organizations in Papua, including ALDP. Ms Siregar is going to Jakarta after this incident to resolve her license lawyer when the Commissioner is visiting Papua.
On this case, the Papuan Provincial Police made a statement that there is no relation between this case and the re-‐trial Court, although police did not conduct the investigation in advance. In fact, prior to the date of 26 September 2014 the victim reported the case to the Papuan Provincial Police office and received by the Police Service Center (SPKT), the police have not conducted any investigation, with reason that the absence of a complaint from the victim. In fact, according to Indonesian law, this crime included in
the general offense that does not require a complaint from the victim and the police should be doing investigating immediately when they get information about the crime.
Link between the violation and human rights work
Ms. Siregar is currently defending Mr. Areki Wanimbo, an Indonesian civil servant, against the Jayawijaya Province Police Chief (Kapolres Jayawijaya) because of an apparent unlawful search and arrest. Mr. Areki Wanimbo and several witnesses claim that police officers searched his house without showing an official search warrant, and arrested the defendant without showing an official arrest warrant.
Identity of Institution Submitting this Form
This letter is submitted to the OHCHR by Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) Indonesia, in partnership with the Alliance of Democracy for Papua (ALDP) and Franciscans International.
Contact Person
Muhammad Choirul Anam
Deputy Director
Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) -¬‐ndonesia
Jiwasraya Building Lobby Floor Jl. RP Soeroso No.41 Gondangdia Jakarta Pusat
Phone:+62812 82958035|EmaiL:hrwg.indonesia@gmail.com
Ms.Latifah Anum Siregar
Director of Aliansi Demokrasi untuk Papua (ALDP)
Jl.Raya Sentani Padang Bulan, Jayapura,Papua 99351 Indonesia
Phone:+629675 87890, Email:aldp.papua@gmail.com
Mr.Budi Tjahjono
Advocacy Officer
Franciscans International
37-‐39 Rue de Vermont, PO Box 104,1211 Genève 20, Switzerland
Phone:+41 22 779 4010,Email:b.tjahjono@fiop.org