Papuan leader back behind bars

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Yusak Pakage, a Papuan leader sentenced to 10 years in jail for treason, escaped a Jayapura jail on Wednesday, but was recaptured a few hours later.

The 26-year-old Yusak left his cell at 6.30 a.m. in order to fetch a book from his house, which is located some 200 meters from the prison. After getting permission from a prison official, a prison guard escorted Yusak to his house, but on the way the young leader suddenly ran away and headed into the office of non- governmental organization (NGO) Elsham Papua for protection, said the prison warden, K. Rumboirusi.

Yusak escaped the prison after he protested the extension of an arrest warrant issued by the Supreme Court to keep him imprisoned. He argued that the letter was illegal because it was not signed by the official whose name was printed on the letter, namely Mariana Sutadi, the deputy chief of the Supreme Court. "The letter was invalid. It has the name of an official and a Supreme Court stamp on it, but it was never signed by the Supreme Court official," said Yusak. The letter was only signed by Suparno, the chief of the crime directorate at the Supreme Court and Tukijan, a clerk at the Jayapura district court.

Yusak was detained after he was sentenced by the Jayapura district court to 10 years in prison for state treason in May this year. His lawyers filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, meaning that the Supreme Court had to produce a detention letter to keep Yusak in jail, pending the Supreme Court producing a decision on the appeal. The detention period had been extended several times and the latest extension was on Aug. 23.

However, the latest extension letter was controversial and had been deemed illegal. "I am willing to return to prison if the court and prosecution official explains the flaws in this controversial letter," said Yusak.

Yusak was returned to prison in the afternoon after he was picked up by the Jayapura Prison warden and the chief of Abepura police subprecinct, Adj. Comr. Robert Suweni.

Yusak, along with his accomplice, Philep Karma, were prosecuted and received 10 years jail each after they were found guilty of holding a separatist meeting at the Cenderawasih University last year to discuss preparations to commemorate Papua Independence Day on Dec. 1.

The two not only organized that meeting, but had also organized the Papua independence commemoration on Dec. 1 last year at the Trikora field, Abepura.