Indonesia, West Papua – On the evening of 17 July 2025, members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) reportedly tortured and executed Mr Obert Mirip, an 18-year-old student, inside the Titigi Military Post, Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah Province (see photo on top, source: Jubi).
The incident occurred after Obert was accused of being a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) for wearing a shirt displaying the Morning Star Flag and the Papua New Guinea flag. Multiple reports affirm that Mr Mirip was not affiliated with any armed group but was summarily executed in military custody. His body was later returned to his village by order of the local TNI commander, without formal investigation or due process.
According to reports from multiple independent sources, TNI personnel deployed drone surveillance over Ndugusiga Village on 17 July 2025, at approximately 7:00 pm. After identifying Mr Obert Mirip based on his clothing, TNI soldiers reportedly descended from their post, forcibly arrested him at his home, and escorted him to the Titigi military post. That same night, he was allegedly tortured and eventually succumbed to the injuries he sustained as a result of torture. The next day, TNI soldiers informed nearby villagers that a TPNPB member had been shot and demanded that the body be collected for burial. Upon verification, community members confirmed that the deceased was Mr Obert Mirip.
The TPNPB Central Headquarters released a statement according to which Obert Mirip was not associated with the TPNPB and condemned the killing as a deliberate act of intimidation aimed at suppressing civilians. Local civil society actors denounced the TNI's narrative as disinformation and accused state authorities of violating the civil and political rights of the indigenous population. The dissemination of false claims labeling Mr Obert Mirip as a TPNPB member was widely criticised as a defamatory tactic aimed at justifying unlawful violence against civilians.
Relatives and civil society representatives have called upon Indonesian authorities to conduct an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the killing of Mr Obert Mirip and to ensure that all perpetrators, including those with command responsibility, are held accountable. The Indonesian National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) should monitor the situation in Intan Jaya and other conflict areas and timely investigate allegations of grave human rights violations in West Papua.
Background
The killing of Obert Mirip underscores the urgent need for the Indonesian state to demilitarise West Papua and to guarantee the right to freedom of expression, cultural identity, and political opinion without fear of retaliation or violence. The Titigi area already became an area of conflict in April 2023, as Indonesian security forces conducted raids on four villages in the Intan Jaya Regency of West Papua, covering an area of 2.7 square kilometres. The raids destroyed at least 28 houses. Security forces reportedly killed four civilians and injured three others, including two minors. More than 3,000 indigenous Papuans were internally displaced as a result of these operations, facing dire living conditions without access to adequate food, healthcare, or education.
Legal analysis
This incident constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, notably the right to life, the prohibition of torture, and the protection of civilians under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The summary execution of an unarmed civilian without judicial process is a potential crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), especially in the context of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population.