JAKARTA - The acquittal by an Indonesian human rights court of a retired army officer from charges over the killing of four Papuan teens in 2014 was a sign of impunity, a representative of the families said.
“We, the victims’ families and witnesses, see that the country commits impunity, and protects the perpetrators of the case of gross human rights violations in Paniai,” Mr Yones Douw, who represents the victims’ families, said on Friday. The incident constituted “gross human rights violations”, the commission, known as Komnas HAM, concluded in 2020.
Two of the five judges dissented from the ruling, arguing that Settu was the highest-ranking officer there at the time and thus could be held responsible for failing to control the conduct of the troops.