Devina Halim, Jakarta – The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) will soon return the investigation dossier on the Paniai incident in Papua to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).
Earlier, the AGO stated that the Komnas HAM investigation into the incident had failed to meet the formal and material requirements to be declared a gross human rights violation.
“As has already been conveyed, there are still formal and material shortcomings. The [AGO’s] team is currently drafting [a report] on the shortcomings, later it will be returned [to Komnas HAM]”, said Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Ali Mukartono at the AGO complex in South Jakarta on Friday March 6.
Mukartono however did not provide details on what would be returned immediately.
According to Mukartono, after the AGO’s team which conducted the study has drafted the guidelines on the shortcomings that need to be addressed by Komnas HAM the dossier will immediately be returned to Komnas HAM.
“After the team has made its report it will be completed, later I will definitely do this”, he said.
Mukartono was reluctant to reveal in detail what exactly was lacking in the Komnas HAM investigation. “I’m not allowed to reveal the material. It’s for the consumption of Komnas HAM investigators”, he said.
Earlier on February 11, Komnas HAM submitted the investigation dossier on the incident with the AGO.
Komnas HAM itself has already declared that the Paniai incident on December 7-8 2014 was a gross human rights violation. This assessment was reached during a Komnas HAM special plenary meeting on February 3.
The special plenary meeting decision was based on the results of an investigation by an ad hoc team which had been working for five years between 2015 and 2020.
During the Paniai incident, violence against the civilian population resulted in the death of four people aged between 17-18 years who died as a result of being shot and stabbed. Twenty-one others were injured.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Kejaksaan Agung akan Kembalikan Berkas Paniai ke Komnas HAM”.]
