On 23 March 2026, Joint security forces allegedly detained and tortured Mr Yenus Mohi,19, together with two other young men in Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Highlands Papua Province. The arrest was carried out without a warrant or legal justification. Mr Mohi was held in detention for approximately four days and released on 27 March 2026 at around 01:30 pm in a critical physical condition, showing severe injuries which he sustained as a result of torture during detention. The whereabouts of the two other detainees remain unknown, raising serious concerns of enforced disappearance.
According to the information received from local sources, the incident unfolded over several stages. On 23 March 2026, Mr Yenus Mohi, an indigenous farmer of the Yali tribe, and two other young men were apprehended by TNI Marinir personnel near the Police mobile Brigade (Brimob) post at Jl Seradala, in Dekai District at approximately 10:30 am. Security personnel, including members military and Brimob officers, stopped and searched him, citing suspicion based on personal items such as a bracelet and a cap. Without presenting an arrest warrant, approximately ten officers arrested them at gunpoint and forcibly took them into custody. During the arrest, his personal belongings, such as a mobile phone, noken (netbag), bracelet, and cap. were confiscated.
Throughout his detention, Mr Yenus Mohi was held without access to legal counsel and without any notification to his family. Upon his release in the early hours of 27 March 2026, he was escorted back to his family home in Dekai using a Barracuda armored vehicle. His physical condition upon return indicated that he had been subjected to severe violence during detention (see photo on top, source: independent HRD). Mr Mohi stated that he had been repeatedly beaten, kicked in the face with military boots, and struck with an iron bar and a wooden plank. He also lost consciousness at one point due to the abuse and remains in a weakened state requiring medical attention.
In parallel, the fate and whereabouts of the two other young men arrested alongside Mr Yenus Mohi remain unknown. Authorities have not provided any information regarding their identity, location, or legal status, nor have they acknowledged their detention. This situation raises credible concerns that the two individuals may be victims of enforced disappearance.
Human rights analysis
This case reflects a pattern of various human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, torture, and serious concerns of enforced disappearance. Such acts are prohibited under national law and international human rights treaties, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as well as the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CAT). The absence of due process, the use of excessive force, and the denial of fundamental procedural safeguards indicate systemic failures in the conduct of security forces operating in the Yahukimo Regency. The incommunicado detention of the victim and the lack of transparency surrounding the operation further exacerbate the risk of abuse and impunity
Detailed case data
Location: Dekai, Yahukimo regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia (-4.8638158, 139.4837298) Near Brimob post on Seradala road, Dekai DIstrict
Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Yahukimo, Dekai
Total number of victims: 3
1. Yenus Mohi, diverse 19 Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention, torture
2. 2 male adults, indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention, disappearance, torture
Period of incident: 23/04/2026-27/04/2026
Perpetrator: Indonesian Security Forces
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence