West Papuan Lawyer arrested by anti Terrorism Police is moved to Jakarta

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Human rights workers in Jayapura report today that Sabar Iwanggin who was arrested by Indonesia's special anti terrorism police force, Detachment 88, last Thursday in Jayapura has been moved to Police Headquaerters in Jakarta today.

Sabar Iwaggin is a lawyer who works wth the respected Human Rights organisation, Els-ham West Papua.

Sabar Iwanggin appears to have been charged with receiving & passing on a SMS text message which Police say is insulting to the Indonesian President.

Human Rights workers cannot understand why Sabar Iwanggin would be arrested by Indonesia's most highly trained anti-terrorism police for his very minor role in the spread of this text message.

Police in Jayapura are now denying that Sabar Iwanggin was arrested by Detachment 88 and are saying that his arrest is a criminal matter.
Witnesses who were present with Sabar Iwanggin outside the Sports Hall in Jayapura on Thursday 18 October 2007 at the time confirm that his arrest was made by members of Detachment 88 and that the were 30 police officers present to make the arrest.
Police are reported to have sent Sabar Iwanggin in the company of another lawyer representing him and have made arrangements for his family to travel to Jakarta tomorrow.

Human rights workers have recommended that concerned people ring or fax the Indonesian Police Headquarters and politely ask the reason why Sabar Iwanggin is being detained and to ask for his immediate release.
Alternate telephone numbers for Indonesian National Police Headquarters are:

+62 21 721800 , 7251989, 7251967 and 7218014
The police fax number is : +62 21 7246656

Matthew Jamieson representing the Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights said today, "It is incredible that the Indonesian Police would use personnel from the Detachment 88, their highly trained anti terrorism force, to arrest the lawyer Sabar Iwanggin for his trivial involvement in this test message issue."

"Human rights workers are very concerned that the Indonesian Police have another agenda and that they will continue to ignore Sabar Iwanggin's basic rights. Sabar Iwanggin's arrest, detention and now transportation to Jakarta Police Headquarters clearly has a trivial legal basis. His legal and human rights are at risk while he remains in Indonesian police custardy charged on this basis."

Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights has sent out a previous and related document "Human rights report 24 October 2007, 'West Papuan Human Rights Lawyer arrested by US & Australian trained Anti Terrorism police' ".
For more information contact:

Matthew Jamieson
Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights
PO box 1805, Byron bay NSW 2481 Australia
matthew@hr.minihub.org
tel +61(0) 418291998