Jakarta- New Zealand-based Susi Air pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens has been held hostage by the Papuan armed criminal group (KKB) led by Egianus Kogoya since February 7, 2023.
Based on video footage published on May 26, 2023 and received by Amnesty International Indonesia, Mehrtens was flanked by TPNPB-OPM members brandishing firearms.
Reported from the amnesty.id page. May 30, 2023, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said, “We condemn the hostage-taking and treatment of the Susi Air pilot”.
The hostage-taking of Susi Air pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens by the Papuan KKB group violates the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The 1949 Geneva Conventions are a series of treaties governing international humanitarian law applicable in situations of armed conflict. It provides special protection for civilians who are not involved in armed conflict. The hostage-taking of civilians by the Papuan KKB violates the principles of the 1949 Geneva Convention, including the prohibition of torture, inhumane treatment, and humiliation of their dignity.
It also violates the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The ICCPR is an international treaty that protects the fundamental rights of individuals, including the right to life, individual liberty, and protection from inhumane treatment. The hostage-taking of Susi Air pilots is a violation of these rights guaranteed by the ICCPR.
The taking of civilians hostage is an unjustifiable act in the context of international law and human rights. It causes suffering to innocent individuals and violates widely recognized basic principles of humanity.
Indeed, Amnesty International Indonesia and other human rights organizations have consistently condemned these hostage-takings. We work to promote respect for human rights around the world so that Pilot is released immediately.
