West Papuan Youth and Women denounced the death sentence on Political Prisoner Karel Fatem

Merdeka Secretariat
3 days ago
1 min read

Papuan youth and student activists staged consecutive mobilizations across Sorong this month of August demanding Indonesia overturn a death sentence handed to Karel Fatem, a West Papuan political prisoner (Tapol) currently jailed at Lapas Kelas IIB Sorong (Sorong Class IIB Prison).

On August 5, Sayang Mandabayan, national chairwoman of the Front Nasional Mahasiswa Pemuda Papua (FNMPP), called and led mobilizations calling to reject the death sentence of Karel Fatem. Legal counsels from the LBH Kaki Abu Sorong confirmed Fatem is the first Papuan political prisoner in history sentenced to death, after prosecutors appealed a life sentence up to the Supreme Court (Kasasi), which ultimately imposed capital punishment.

Also marking the International Indigenous Peoples' Day, youth and women's groups marched to the office of the Papua Barat Daya Peoples' Assembly (MRP PBD) in Sorong to raise the case of Fatem and many Indigenous Peoples political prisoners across West Papua.

According to FNMPP, the case of Fatem's is part of a broader pattern where Indigenous communities face militarized land seizure, National Strategic Projects (PSN), the Biak spaceport, Special Economic Zones, and resource exploitation, with peaceful resistance routinely met by armed TNI-Polri forces, criminalization, and now a death sentence.

FNMPP called for the MRP to publicly oppose Fatem's execution and actively monitor his case; recognition of International Humanitarian Law treating Fatem as a political prisoner and a prisoner of war; and an end to Indonesia's use of anti-terrorism law against Indigenous Peoples defenders.

Organizers said identical demands are being raised in mobilizations across the Papuan homeland this month.#