On 29 July 2026, personnel of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), reportedly affiliated with Kodim 1715/Yahukimo, reportedly detained Mr Ekinus Magayang, 23, a civilian and student from Senyom Village, Kwelamdua District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan province. According to a witness and relatives, military personnel intercepted and searched Mr Magayang whilst he was travelling on foot from the Kali Ahum gold-panning area towards Dekai. The soldiers allegedly took him into custody after finding a photograph believed to depict a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) on his mobile phone.
On the morning of 29 July 2026, Mr Ekinus Magayang and a companion were walking from Kali Ahum, a gold-panning area, towards Dekai, the capital of Yahukimo Regency. The two men had chosen to travel on foot because transport connections from the Korowai region were restricted. At approximately 11.12 am, TNI personnel reportedly stopped the two men and searched their belongings. The soldiers inspected Mr Magayang's mobile phone and found a photograph believed to depict a TPNPB member. The military personnel subsequently took Mr Magayang into custody, whilst his companion was permitted to continue his journey. Following the arrest, neither the police nor the relatives informed the relatives about Mr Ekinus Magayang place and legal ground for the detention.
According to the information received, the photograph had originated from social media and was widely circulating online. Relatives stressed that Mr Magayang is a civilian and had never participated in the activities of an armed group or political organisation. His family described him as a civilian who had been working in the gold-panning area to earn a living. Mr Magayang's family rejected any alleged association between him and an armed group.
Human rights and legal analysis
The reported circumstances raise serious concerns regarding the right to liberty and security of person under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Indonesia ratified through Law No. 12 of 2005. Article 9 prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and requires any deprivation of liberty to be based on grounds and procedures established by law. The UN Human Rights Committee has clarified that arbitrariness extends beyond formal unlawfulness and includes considerations of reasonableness, necessity, proportionality, predictability and due process.
If the sole basis for taking Mr Magayang into custody was the presence of a photograph of an alleged TPNPB member on his telephone, the authorities would need to demonstrate how this provided a lawful and sufficiently substantiated basis for depriving him of his liberty. Possession of an image circulating on social media does not, by itself, establish membership of an armed group or participation in a criminal offence. Any arrest must therefore be based on individualised grounds prescribed by law rather than presumed association.
The alleged involvement of TNI personnel also requires clarification regarding the legal authority under which the soldiers stopped, searched and deprived a civilian of liberty. Indonesia amended the legal framework governing the TNI through Law No. 3 of 2025, whilst criminal procedure is currently governed by Law No. 20 of 2025 on the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), which has been in force since 2 January 2026. The competent authorities should disclose the precise statutory basis, operational mandate and procedure relied upon in carrying out the reported search and arrest.
Article 9 ICCPR further requires that an arrested person be informed of the reasons for the arrest and promptly informed of any charges, while a person detained on a criminal charge must be brought promptly before a judicial authority. A detainee must also have access to proceedings through which a court can determine the lawfulness of the detention without delay. Accordingly, the authorities should immediately disclose Mr Magayang's whereabouts and legal status, ensure access to legal counsel and his family, and either establish a lawful basis for continued detention in accordance with applicable procedural safeguards or release him.
Detailed case data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-134-2026
Location: Dekai, Yahukimo regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia (-4.8638158, 139.4837298)
Region: Indonesia > Highland Papua > Yahukimo > Dekai
Total number of victims: 1
1. Ekinus Magayang, male 23 Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
Period of incident: 29/07/2026-29/07/2026
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI)
Perpetrator details: Kodim 1715/Yahukimo
Issues: Indigenous peoples