Prominent human rights lawyer shot in West Papua, Indonesia

Being a human rights lawyer Jan Christian Varinusi On July 17, Varinusi was returning home from work when his 10-year-old son, Mario, begged for ice cream. Varinusi took off his tie, got in his car with his three children and their cousin, and headed to the center of Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia.

The 60-year-old director of the Manokwari Institute for Legal Aid Research, Evaluation and Development, Varinusi has presided over many important human rights cases over the past 20 years. His work has earned him many enemies over the years.

On his way to the city center, Varinusi stopped to withdraw cash from a bank ATM. As he crossed the street back to his waiting vehicle, he stood by the one-meter-wide street divider and waited for traffic to clear. Suddenly, he told Human Rights Watch, he heard a sound like a thump. “I had a lot of pain in my chest,” Varinusi said. “I immediately thought it was a shooting.”

“My reaction was to look at the rooftops of banks and shops, looking for snipers, but I didn’t see anything suspicious.”

As he got into the car, his daughter Winnie yelled, “Dad, your chest is bleeding.”

They drove to the nearby Manokwari police station. Police took him to the hospital, where staff found a Black tin ball dropped to the floor The doctor in charge said Varinusi was not seriously injured and determined that the bullet may have hit his ribs but did not penetrate deeply into his body.

Jhonny Edison Isir, West Papua Police Chief and Inspector General, Visiting Varinusi in the hospitaland promised a thorough investigation.

So far, the police have Recovered CCTV footage A dark green Toyota Raize minivan drove by and the gunman allegedly aimed at Varinusi at close range.

Varinusi is currently recovering at home, but his family, friends and clients fear that a more serious attack will occur again. The authorities need to conduct an impartial investigation and identify and prosecute all those responsible. The government needs to ensure that human rights defenders are properly protected, including those they face in court.