Komnas HAM identified a TNI member, Alpius, Deputy Commander of the Hitadipta Preparation Sub-District, as the suspected shooter based on testimonies from the victim’s wife and other witnesses.

During a reading of the joint investigative team’s findings on October 21, 2020, the then Coordinating Minister, Mahfud Md, indicated that the death of Pastor Yeremia involved rogue military personnel.

However, the legal process has been slow and opaque, with the case transferred to a military court instead of a civilian one. The TNI maintains that due to the involvement of its members, the case must go through military jurisdiction, citing a law from the New Order era.

Despite the law indicating that military personnel should face civilian courts for criminal violations, the trial for Pastor Yeremia’s murder began only on July 4, 2022, in the Jayapura Military Court, charging three TNI soldiers.

On June 30, 2023, the court found the soldiers guilty of murder but sentenced them to just one year in prison and minimal fines, far below the prosecution’s request for 15 years and dismissal from service. Subsequent appeals have upheld this lenient ruling.

“The legal proceedings surrounding Pastor Yeremia’s murder highlight ongoing impunity. TNI soldiers are not held accountable under civilian law as mandated,” Usman said. “High-ranking TNI officials who should be held responsible for this murder remain untouched by the law, reflecting a lack of seriousness from the state in addressing this case.”

Such circumstances have contributed to the continued occurrence of extrajudicial killings in Papua, with Amnesty reporting at least 132 cases resulting in 242 civilian deaths between February 3, 2018, and August 20, 2024, primarily by security forces.