Cenderawasih Post, 29 January 2009

The case of Buchtar Tabuni was today handed on to the Public Prosecutors' Office in Jayapura by the police which means that he is likely to be formally charged in the near future.

Buchtar Tabuni was arrested on 16 October 2008 for organising a rally to welcome the launching of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua in London on that day.

According to the police, Buchtar Tabuni has refused to answer questions from the interrogators. His lawyer Iwan Niode said that it was fully within his rights to refuse to answer questions. His lawyer explained that his client had already answered questions when he was being treated as a witness and would reserve his right to speak when he appears in court.

The lawyer said he hoped that formal charges would be laid and the case would some to court quickly, bearing in mind that he has already spent three months in detention awaiting trial. He has now been transferred to the Abepura Prison.

He is expected to face charges under Articles 106, 107 and 110 of the Criminal Code, for subversion.

Another Papuan, Seby Sembun, who was arrested several weeks after Buchtar Tabuni is currently under investigation and is also likely to face charges of subversion. The police are reported as saying that they were not yet ready to hand the case over to the Public Prosecutor.