Jail term sought for three soldiers charged with torturing Papuans
The Jakarta Post | National | Thu, January 20 2011, 8:36 PM
A prosecutor has asked the Jayapura Military Court to
sentence three soldiers to 12 months, 10 months and nine months respectively
for torturing two Papuans, who were allegedly Free Papuan Movement (OPM)
members.
Second Sgt. Iwan Riskianto, deputy commander of the Infantry
Battalion’s Gurate military post in Puncak Jaya, faces a possible one-year jail
term, while his subordinates, First Pvt. Yason Agu and First Pvt. Thamrin
Makangiri face 10 months and nine months, respectively, kompas.com reported.
Prosecutor Lt. Col. Edy Imran said the defendants tortured
Telenggen Gire and Anggen Pugukiwo on May 27.
The incident, which happened behind the military post, was
recorded by Second Pvt. Barno upon the order of Iwan. The 10-minute video was
later circulated on YouTube.
The prosecutor said that Iwan deserved a longer jail term
because he was the vice commander with greater responsibility. He also said the
requested sentence for Agu was longer than Thamrin’s because Agu had tortured
Pugukiwo’s male organ with a smoldering wooden rod.
