How Did Filep Karma Die?
Filep Jacob Samuel Karma (14 August 1959) was a West Papua independence activist. On 1 December 2004, Filep assisted in raising the Morning Star flag at a ceremony in Jayapura, for which he was charged with treason and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both protested on his behalf,…
Filep Jacob Samuel Karma (14 August 1959) was a West Papua independence activist. On 1 December 2004, Filep assisted in raising the Morning Star flag at a ceremony in Jayapura, for which he was charged with treason and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both protested on his behalf, with the former designating him a prisoner of conscience. Karma was released on November 19, 2015.
The Asian Human Rights Commission reported in 2009 that guards had beaten Karma for being late for a prison leave on 1 February, breaking his glasses and tearing one of his eyelids.
Karma was allowed to give an interview to a local radio station in 2010, during which he stated that he had been regularly abused by prison authorities: “I’ve been punched, kicked, and pulled. What hurts the most is the mental torture we are subjected to.” According to an Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman, “allegations of prisoner abuse were always investigated and dealt with properly.”
How Did Filep Karma Die?
Filep Karma was discovered dead on Base-G beach in Jayapura on November 1, 2022, while dressed as a diver. According to Frits Ramandey of Komnas HAM Papua, there are no early signs of wrongdoing, and he most likely died while scuba diving.
