Victor Yeimo
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2021-049-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2021
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: -0.789275
Longitude: 113.921327
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Indonesia
- From Region
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
a human rights activist in West Papua who is the international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat/KNPB)
- Type of rights defended
- Indigenous peoples’ rights
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
It was reported to OHCHR that on 10 May the Papua Inspector General of the Papua Province Police, in explaining the crimes allegedly committed, made reference to calls by Mr. Yeimo for self-determination of the Papuan people at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2019.
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
- Dates of engagement
- March 2019
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 5 September 2019; 9 May 2021;
- Reprisal information
Ms. Koman has provided legal support to Mr. Victor Yeimo, a human rights activist in West Papua who is the international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat/KNPB). Mr. Yeimo had been on the Papua police wanted list (no. LP/317/IX/RES.1.24/2019/Direskrimum of 5 September 2019), reportedly targeted for a statement made during the 2019 anti-racism protests in Papua and West Papua Provinces, where he joined in calling for a referendum on independence. Ms. Koman and another lawyer had submitted appeals to special procedures in 2019 regarding the alleged excessive use of force by security forces, arbitrary arrests, and detention of peaceful protestors following the anti-racism violence in September 2019. It was reported to OHCHR that, on 9 May 2021, Mr. Yeimo was arrested without a warrant and is being charged under the Penal Code, inter alia, accused of incitement (to riots) and treason. It was reported to OHCHR that on 10 May 2021, the Papua Inspector General of the Papua Province Police, in explaining the crimes allegedly committed, made reference to calls by Mr. Yeimo for self-determination of the Papuan people at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2019.37
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Charge/Investigation/Prosecution - General
- Detention/Imprisonment: Detention/Imprisonment - General
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Government response dates
- 12 August 2021
- Government response content
On 12 August 2021, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report, affirming their position condemning intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN, including human rights defenders, which they noted they had made clear during the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. The Government rejected that the arrest of Mr. Yeimo was related to his cooperation with the UN, including the Human Rights Council in 2019, stating that his case strictly concerns his alleged involvement in the incitement of mass riots of Jayapura, Papua Province on 19 August 2019 and his advocacy for separatism and secession for which he is awaiting trial for treason and public incitement.
- Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
- No
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 2
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2022
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
- The case of Mr. Victor Yeimo, a human rights activist in West Papua who is the international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat/KNPB), was included in the 2021 reports of the Secretary-General, on allegations of arrest without warrant and charges, inter alia, of incitement (to riots) and treason, reportedly in connection to his calls for self-determination of the Papuan people, including at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2019. On 30 June 2021, special procedure mandate holders addressed allegations of reprisals against Mr. Yeimo for his cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms and expressed concerns that his arrest on charges of treason and incitement was related to his involvement in anti-racism and self-determination campaigns in West Papua and linked to his cooperation with the Human Rights Council. On 13 March 2019, Mr. Yeimo addressed the Human Rights Council during the General Debate under item 4 and spoke at an NGO side event on the human rights situation in West Papua. On 20 September 2021, mandate holders publicly raised concerns about the charges against Mr. Yeimo and called on the Government to provide him with proper medical care to prevent his death in prison. (See IDN/6/21). On 30 August 2021, the Government responded, clarifying the legal and factual basis for the charges against Mr. Yeimo, rejecting the allegation that the investigation on Mr. Yeimo is connected to his participation and work with the Human Rights Council, and noting that no government official had made any statement to that effect. It also provided information on Mr. Yeimo’s detention conditions, including medical care
- Followup Trends 0
- Stayed same
- Date of follow up 0
- 30 June 2021, 20 September 2021
- Did the government respond? 0
- Yes
- Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
- UN Special Procedures: Thematic
- UN Special Procedures: UN Special Procedures - General
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
- 2024
- Follow up information provided in SG report 1
- The case of Mr. Victor Yeimo, a human rights activist in West Papua who is the international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat/KNPB), was included in the 2021 and 2022 reports of the Secretary-General,120 on allegations of arrest without warrant and charges, inter alia, of incitement (to riots) and treason, reportedly in connection to his calls for self-determination of the Papuan people, including at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2019.121 In 2021, special procedure mandate holders addressed allegations of reprisals and the criminal charges against Mr. Yeimo and called on the Government to provide him with proper medical care to prevent his death in prison (See IDN/6/21),122 to which the Government responded.123
- According to information received by OHCHR, on 5 May 2023, the Jayapura District Court acquitted Mr. Yeimo of treason, but found him guilty of violating Article 155 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code that regulates the broadcasting, displaying, or pasting writings or paintings in public that contain expressions of feelings of hostility, hatred, or contempt for the Government of Indonesia. Mr. Yeimo was sentenced to eight months in prison. Reportedly, this verdict was controversial because Article 155, paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code had never been cited in the charges against Mr. Yelmo, and the article had been revoked by the Constitutional Court in 2007. On 12 May 2023, the Public Prosecutor filed an appeal at the Jayapura High Court against the decision. In its appeal decision, the Jayapura Panel of Judges overturned the district court’s decision stating that Mr. Yeimo had been legally and conclusively proven guilty of committing treason and sentenced him to one year’s imprisonment (including the time spent in prison). On 23 September 2023, Mr. Yeimo was released from Abepura prison in Japayura City after having served a sentence of one year.
- Followup Trends 1
- Significant positive and negative developments
- Did the government respond? 1
- No