On 16 December 2025, Mr Ermin Dabiye, a twenty-one-year-old student from Kenyam, was reportedly killed in Kenyam District, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan province, under circumstances strongly suggesting unlawful use of lethal force by Indonesian military (TNI) personnel. The body was later found far from the victim's last known location.
That morning, Mr Ermin Dabiye reportedly left home at around 11:00 am. He went alone towards the quarry/garden area and the Kenyan River route. Witnesses saw him walking alone in that direction. That was the last time he was reportedly seen alive. By approximately 4:00 pm, the family began searching and received information that a body had been found in the Krepkuri District, roughly 5 km from Kenyam, an unexpectedly distant location given the reported last sighting. Community members also reported low-altitude helicopter operations along the river corridor from morning to evening. They noted the presence of several TNI posts near the area where the victim was last seen descending towards the river.
The family's initial examination reportedly identified two gunshot wounds to the head and severe facial injuries consistent with heavy beating, including swelling so extensive that the victim was initially difficult to recognise (see photos below, source: independent HRD). The body was reportedly retrieved at around 5:00 pm. Based on the distance between the last known location and the recovery site, combined with reported helicopter activity and the condition of the body, local accounts raise a serious allegation that the victim was unlawfully executed, the body moved by helicopter, and disposed of in another district to suggest death by river-related causes.
Human rights analysis
If substantiated, the reported allegations would constitute an extrajudicial deprivation of life, particularly given the reported head wounds as well as the alleged movement and disposal of the body to conceal responsibility. The right to life is enshrined in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The reported facial injuries and swelling also raise credible concerns of torture inflicted before death, which would aggravate State responsibility. In situations of heightened security operations, the State remains bound to ensure that any use of force by security personnel is strictly necessary and proportionate, and that lethal force is used only as a measure of last resort to protect life.
International standards require that any potentially unlawful death – especially where State agents may be implicated – must trigger a genuine investigation that is independent, impartial, prompt, thorough, and capable of leading to the identification and prosecution of those responsible. The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016) provides detailed guidance on securing scenes, protecting witnesses, forensic examinations, chain of custody, and public transparency, and is directly relevant to this case.
Although the victim's family reportedly expressed a desire to leave justice "in God's hands" and not pursue legal action, the State has the duty to investigate and prosecute serious human rights violations: This obligation is mandatory and should proceed ex officio where credible allegations exist. Key urgent measures should include the immediate securing of any relevant locations and conducting an independent forensic examination, including documentation of wounds and trajectory analysis where feasible, and public reporting on investigative steps to prevent intimidation and misinformation. Nduga Regency has long been affected by protracted conflict dynamics and repeated security operations, with chronic civilian harm, internal displacement, and curtailed access to health, education, and livelihoods. The reported killing of Ermin Dabiye, alongside ongoing insecurity and displacement-related vulnerability, underscores the need for civilian protection, humanitarian access, and credible accountability mechanisms
Detailed case data
Location: Kenyam, Nduga Regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia (-4.6049794, 138.3863687)Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Nduga, Kenyam
Total number of victims: 1
1. Ermin Dabiye, male 21 Indigenous Peoples execution, right to life, unlawful killing
Period of incident: 16/12/2025-16/12/2025
Perpetrator: Indonesian Military (TNI)
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence