The National Human Rights Commission Investigate Drug Prisoners Killed In South Jakarta Metro Police Detention

JAKARTA - The death of a prisoner, Fredy Nicolaus Siagian, South Jakarta Metro Police is full of questions. The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has launched an investigation into the death.

The head of the Komnas HAM Monitoring and Investigation Team, Wahyu Pratama Tamba, said that his party had visited the South Jakarta Metro Police to investigate the cause of Ferdy's death.

"Previously, we received complaints from family companions and also asked for witness statements. We directly reviewed the South Jakarta Metro Police Detention", Wahyu said via text message, Sunday, March 20.

Wahyu revealed that his party had asked for information from investigators from the Drug Investigation Unit and Detainees and Evidence officers from the South Jakarta Police. In fact, he has even been shown about the arrest and the autopsy process for Fredy.

"We received direct information from the Head of Drug Investigation Unit and Detainees and Evidence at the South Jakarta Metro Police and his personnel. We have also received direct information from the South Jakarta Metro Police Narcotics Investigator who handled the case of the deceased, and the case files were shown", he said.

"We also obtained documentation of the condition of the deceased at the beginning of the arrest, when he was at the Resort Police, when he was about to be referred to the Kramat Jati Police Hospital and when he was treated at the Kramat Jati Police Hospital, including during the autopsy on 17 January 2022", he continued.

Regarding the CCTV in Fredy's room, Wahyu admits that he is in need. However, if it is needed later, the party will officially ask the South Jakarta Metro Police.

"The issue of CCTV and the control room is indeed in the detention center area. If needed, of course, we will officially ask the South Jakarta Metro Police Chief", he said.

On the occasion, Wahyu revealed that his party had not been able to conclude the cause of Fredy's death. However, he still regrets what happened to Fredy until he died, because he died under the control of the Police.

"[Regarding the death] we have not been able to conclude. [But] we are really sorry about the death of this prisoner. People who are already under the control of the police, even though the police say the deceased are sick", he said.

For information, Fredy was reported to have died at the Kramatjati Police Hospital, East Jakarta, Thursday, January 13, at around 20.00 WIB. Previously, Fredy was arrested by the South Jakarta Police for possession of marijuana in Bali in December 2021.

Fredy's colleague, B, said that his friend had complained of pain all over his body before being declared dead. B found out about it when he visited Fredy in the hospital on Thursday afternoon.

"This is Fredy's confession, yes. I also saw that the skin wound on his leg broke, so it caused a lot of blood spots, then the thigh", said B when confirmed, on January 14, 2022

B suspects that his friend was mistreated in detention. When B visited him, Fredy admitted that he was often beaten in prison. "At 4 pm [before he died], he still managed to meet me. There he complained that he was beaten. So almost every day he was beaten", he said.