Komnas HAM Finds Indications Of Violations In 2 Polda Metro Areas Regarding Allegations Of Torture And Extortion

JAKARTA - The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) of the Republic of Indonesia found indications of human rights violations against detainees in two jurisdictions of the Polda Metro Jaya allegedly committed by members of the South Jakarta Police and Tambelang Police/Bekasi Metro Police.

The indications of human rights violations were found after Komnas HAM studied various facts, documents, and testimonies in two cases, namely the death of drug prisoners at the South Jakarta Police Detention Center, and the alleged torture of several youths who were forced to admit to being robbers by members of the Tambelang Police. / Polres Metro Bekasi Regency.

The Komnas HAM Monitoring and Investigation Team in its report stated that there were indications that Freddy Nicolaus was a victim of human rights violations before he was found dead at the South Jakarta Police Rutan.

The autopsy at that time showed Freddy died of an illness, but forensic doctors also found several scars and bruises from blunt objects. Traces of the injuries were found on the upper limbs, buttocks, and four other limbs.

"Regarding the death of the South Jakarta Police on January 13, 2022, there are strong indications of violations of human rights on the right to life, the right to be free from torture, inhumane treatment, cruel and degrading punishment, the right to justice, and the right to health. " said Member of the Monitoring and Investigation Team/Analyst of Human Rights Violations of Komnas HAM, Nina Chelsy, as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, April 20.

Komnas HAM said Freddy, who was arrested in Bali on December 26, 2021, is believed to have been beaten, given electric shocks, burned cigarettes, and made it difficult to obtain food rations while he was in the South Jakarta Police Rutan.

Not only that, Komnas HAM believes that Freddy also experienced blackmail while he was in the South Jakarta Police Rutan. The amount of money demanded at that time reached Rp. 15 million, said Nina.

However, the request could not be fulfilled by the victim's family and friends. However, Komnas HAM found that there was evidence of transfers to the two account numbers related to the extortion case amounting to Rp3.5 million.

Komnas HAM believes that the human rights violations against Freddy have occurred since he was handed over by the South Jakarta Police Narcotics Unit to the South Jakarta Police Detainees and Evidence Treatment Unit (Sat Tahti) on January 6, 2022.

Meanwhile, Komnas HAM also found indications of human rights violations against the legal process carried out by the Tambelang Police/Polres Metro Bekasi against several youths who were later named suspects in the robbery.

Several members of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Tambelang Police and the Jatanras Satreskrim of the Bekasi Metro Police allegedly tortured four suspects, namely M. Fikry and three other people at the Telkom Tambelang Building. Komnas HAM believes that the torture occurred because the police were trying to get confessions from the suspects.

The forms of torture included verbal threats, blindfolded eyes, beatings, being kicked, dragged, stoned on the feet, and shot in the air accompanied by threats.

The torture is believed to have occurred in the courtyard of the Tambelang Telkom Building, the interrogation room of the Tambelang Police, and the detention cell at the Tambelang Police.

"Regarding the arrest of M. Fikry and his friends, along with allegations of torture carried out by the Tambelang Police Criminal Investigation Unit and the Bekasi Metro Police Headquarters Satreskrim, there are violations of human rights, especially the right to be free from torture, the right to security, the right to obtain justice. and the right to health," said the Head of the Team/Coordinator for Monitoring and Investigation of the National Human Rights Commission Endang Sri Meliani during a press conference.

M. Fikry and several others are currently still undergoing trial at the Cikarang District Court. The youths, one of whom is a Koran teacher and cadre of the Islamic Student Association (HMI), was accompanied by public lawyers from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute and KontraS.

Several parties, including the defendant's attorney, believed that the police had made a wrong arrest because M. Fikry was not at the scene when the burglary took place. According to CCTV footage, Fikry was known to sleep in a prayer room which is about 6 kilometers from the place of the beheading.

Regarding the Komnas HAM report, the Tambelang Police, Bekasi District Police, and South Jakarta Police could not immediately be contacted for comments.

However, the Commissioner for Monitoring and Investigation of Komnas HAM, M. Choirul Anam, said that his party had communicated with the Kapolda Metro Jaya Inspector General Mohammad Fadil Imran.

Polda Metro Jaya, according to Anam, has expressed its commitment to follow up on Komnas HAM's findings. Meanwhile, the Polda Metro Jaya could not be contacted directly to ask for confirmation on this matter.