Indonesia human rights court begins trial over 2014 shootings in Papua

An Indonesian court began a trial on Wednesday that will examine whether a former army commander committed “crimes against humanity” over the fatal shooting of four teenagers in the country’s easternmost region of Papua in 2014.
The trial, which is being run by a division of the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) tasked with investigating human rights violations, has been welcomed by activists as a positive step in a restive area where security forces have been accused of abuses.
The retired commander, Isak Sattu, was being charged with crimes against humanity, including serious human rights violations, Ketut Sumedana, an AGO spokesperson, said.
Isak’s lawyer said his client denied the charges.
The case relates to an incident in the Papuan district of Paniai in 2014 when security forces are alleged to have opened fire on a crowd, killing four and injuring 17, after local people gathered to protest against the beating a child.