Lawyers said some of the detainees were suffering from mental and physical illnesses.
awyers representing six Papuan activists who were named treason suspects filed a pretrial motion on Tuesday against the Jakarta Police at the South Jakarta District Court. They alleged that the police had breached legal procedure in arresting and naming the suspects.
The six suspects are Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) spokesperson Surya Anta and students Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, Isay Wenda, Ambrosius Mulait and Arina Elopere. They were arrested by the Jakarta Police on Aug. 30 and 31 and named treason suspects after they staged a protest in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Aug. 28.
The Jakarta protest followed a string of protests nationwide condemning alleged racist attacks and excessive use of force by security personnel against Papuan students in Surabaya on Aug. 16 and 17.
The six activists, who have been detained at the police's Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) detention center in Depok, West Java, were suspected of violating articles 106 and 110 of the Criminal Code on treason and conspiracy to commit treason.
The group of lawyers, called the Papuan Advocacy Team, told reporters that the Jakarta Police had violated standard operating procedure as outlined by a National Police decree (Perkaba) on criminal investigation as well as several articles in the Criminal Law Procedures Code.
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