{"id":320750,"date":"2021-09-22T01:27:32","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T01:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=63874"},"modified":"2021-09-22T01:27:32","modified_gmt":"2021-09-22T01:27:32","slug":"detained-west-papuan-activist-at-risk-of-dying-in-jail-un-expert-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/09\/22\/detained-west-papuan-activist-at-risk-of-dying-in-jail-un-expert-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"Detained West Papuan activist at risk of \u2018dying in jail\u2019, UN expert warns"},"content":{"rendered":"
Asia Pacific Report<\/a> newsdesk<\/em><\/p>\n A United Nations expert has urged Indonesia to provide proper medical care to a Papuan independence activist to “keep him from dying in prison”, after reports emerged that his health had deteriorated, reports The Jakarta Post<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Victor Yeimo, 39, the international spokesman for the West Papua National Committee, was arrested in Jayapura in May.<\/p>\n He has been charged with treason and inciting violence and social unrest in relation to the pro-independence protests that swept the region for several weeks in 2019. Yeimo has denied the charges.<\/p>\n His trial went ahead in August despite repeated requests from his lawyer for a delay on medical grounds.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen it before: States deny medical care to ailing, imprisoned human rights defenders, which results in serious illness or death,\u201d said Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.<\/p>\n \u201cIndonesia must take urgent steps to ensure the fate does not await Mr. Yeimo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n