West Papuan Human Rights Lawyers Receive Netherlands Honour

Wednesday, 5 June 2013, 2:07 pm
Press Release: Radio New Zealand International

West Papuan Human Rights Lawyers Receive Honour In Netherlands

Two human rights lawyers from Indonesia’s West Papua region have been honoured at a ceremony in the Netherlands.

An expert jury placed Olga Hamadi and Gustaf Kawer third on the shortlist for the Lawyers for Lawyers Award won by Russian human rights lawyer, Magamed Abubakarov.

The London-based human rights group TAPOL nominated the two lawyers and says the award is deserved international recognition of their dedication to legal advocacy on behalf of indigenous Papuans.

The Coordinator of TAPOL Paul Barber says the Indonesian government should take notice and take a firm stand against attempts to intimidate and obstruct lawyers in their valuable work in West Papua.

He says human rights lawyers in West Papua are often stigmatised as separatists, intimidated and threatened by police, military, intelligence and judicial personnel for representing Papuans who are regularly arrested just for taking part in demonstrations and exercising their right to freedom of expression.

ENDS

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