Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Jayapura District Court had to postpone the Abepura case trial yet again Friday after the prosecution failed to present the remaining seven defendants to be tried for their involvement in the deadly March 16 clash with police.
The seven defendants had refused to appear in the same court Wednesday after one of them was beaten up by a police officer Monday.
Friday's trial, presided over by Moris Ginting, was opened to hear testimonies from witnesses but the prosecutors, Maskel Rambolangi and Dadang Setiawan, requested the judge to postpone the trial until Monday.
"The defendants are still refusing to attend trial since they have not received an official letter guaranteeing their safety from Papua Police chief (Insp. Gen. Tommy Jacobus) and the head of the Jayapura District Office (Djabaik Haro)," Dadang said.
Moris granted the request but warned that the defendants should appear Monday, since the sentence of two of the defendants, Sedrik Jitmau and Muhammad Khaitam, will end on Sept. 18.
When escorting defendants Monday after a trial session at Jayapura District Court, Brig. Novrel beat up Nelson Rumbiak in front of Abepura Penitentiary. The hospital examination showed Nelson suffered head and chest injuries, indicating he had been hit with a blunt object.
Following the incident, the defendants' lawyer, Aloysius Renwarin, said the defendants would not appear in court until their demands – a public apology from the Papua Police chief and the head of the Jayapura District Office, and an official letter guaranteeing their safety – had been met.
Before Friday's trial, the prosecution had tried to negotiate with the defendants, but Selpius Bobii, who has been convicted in the case, said on behalf of the seven defendants that they insisted on their demands.
The defendants were also requesting less security during the trial. The court proceedings are always heavily guarded by armed police personnel and visitors must pass through tight security before being allowed to follow the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the defendants' relatives objected to a plan to transfer the seven to the Papua Police detention center to allow the prosecution to bring them to stand trial.
"We reject the plan since there's no guarantee that our children will be kindly treated. Even during the questioning at the Papua Police Headquarters we couldn't meet them for three days and when we met, my son's body was bruised after being beaten," asserted C. Berotabui, chief of Papua Injili Christian Church (AM GKI) Synod, referring to his son, defendant Yahya Eko Merano Berotabui.
Meanwhile, Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Max Donald Aer, as quoted by Cendrawasih Pos daily, said he found the demand for Papua Police chief to apologize in public excessive since the police officer responsible for beating up one of the convicts is facing legal action.
The seven defendants are awaiting verdicts on charges they were responsible for the murder of an Air Force soldier during the clash. So far, 16 people have been convicted over the Abepura clash, which took place in front of Cendrawasih University during a protest against giant mining company PT Freeport Indonesia. Each of them was sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison.
Four police officers and an Air Force personnel died when they were attacked by protesters, who were demanding the government close the Freeport mine because of environmental concerns and the mine's failure to improve the welfare of Papuans.