Theology student, Mr Yoas Pigai, died following an incident involving members of the Nabire Resort Police in Nabire Town, Central Papua Province, on 28 November 2025.
The incident occurred in the vicinity of the Air Force base in Nabire during the dispersal of a motorbike convoy linked to a graduation celebration. Mr Pigai's family was only informed of his death more than 30 hours later, on 29 November 2025, raising serious concerns regarding transparency, due process, and the conduct of law enforcement authorities.
According to eyewitness testimony, Mr Yoas Pigai was travelling home from a graduation celebration in Kalibobo around 5:00 pm as police officers suddenly blocked their convoy using police trucks and patrol vehicles. Witnesses stated that officers forcibly stopped several riders and kicked Mr Yoas Pigai and another passenger after they had already parked their motorbikes at the roadside, causing them to fall. One witness managed to escape despite sustaining injuries to his legs and knees, while Mr Pigai stayed at the scene in the custody of police officers. Thirty hours later, the family was informed that Mr Pigai had died and that his body was being handled by the Nabire Police.
When the family arrived at the Nabire Regional General Hospital morgue, they found Yoas Pigai's body wrapped in yellow plastic and placed under strict police supervision. Foam mixed with reddish fluid was reportedly visible around his mouth and nose (see photo below, source: independent HRD), a condition that commonly warrants a thorough forensic examination. Despite this, the family stated that they were taken to the Nabire Police Station and pressured to sign documents refusing an autopsy and accepting the handover of the body for burial (see photo below, source: independent HRD). The family rejected these demands and later met with eyewitnesses whose accounts contradicted the official police version of events.
The Nabire Police Chief, Commissioner Samuel D. Tatiratu, publicly stated that the incident was a traffic accident that occurred during the dispersal of an unauthorised convoy displaying the Morning Star flags. According to Officer Tatiratu, Mr Yoas Pigai collided with a police officer, causing both to fall. In the following panic, other convoy participants allegedly crashed Mr Pigai, resulting in severe injuries. The police claimed that Mr Pigai was admitted to the hospital, where he eventually died. Police authorities denied any use of violence and asserted that medical personnel confirmed the cause of death as solely resulting from a traffic accident.
These explanations have been strongly contested by the victim's family and eyewitnesses. The family emphasised that Yoas Pigai was known as a disciplined theology student with no involvement in criminal activity, alcohol consumption, or violence. They questioned the prolonged delay in notification, the police control over the body, and the attempt to secure a refusal of autopsy despite visible physical indicators that required independent forensic assessment. In an open letter, the family demanded a transparent, impartial, and independent investigation, including the identification and prosecution of any officers responsible for unlawful acts leading to Mr Pigai's death.
Human rights analysis
The death of Mr Yoas Pigai adds to longstanding concerns regarding police conduct, accountability, and impunity in West Papua. The circumstances surrounding his death, including conflicting accounts, alleged physical abuse, denial of an autopsy, and delayed notification of the family, underscore the urgent need for an independent forensic examination and a credible investigation that meets international human rights standards aligned with the 2016 Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death. Without such measures, public trust in law enforcement and the rule of law in West Papua will continue to deteriorate.
Relevant international and domestic legal standards that may be engaged include the right to life under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 7 of the ICCPR and the Convention against Torture, as well as provisions of the Indonesian Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code concerning abuse of authority, use of force, and mandatory investigation of deaths involving state agents.
Detailed case data
Location: Nabire, Nabire Regency, Central Papua, Indonesia (-3.3722254, 135.5016253) In front of the Air Force Base in Nabire Town
Region: Indonesia, Central Papua, Nabire, Nabire
Total number of victims: 2
1. Yoas Pigai, male unknown Indigenous Peoples, Student right to life, torture, unlawful killing
2. Male unknown Indigenous Peoples, Student ill-treatment
Period of incident: 28/11/2025-28/11/2025
Perpetrator: POLRES
Perpetrator details: Polres Nabire O fficers
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence