French journalists held in Papua may face trial
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Two French journalists held for two months in the Indonesian province of Papua may soon be tried on charges of visa violations, a prosecutor said yesterday.
Police have handed over the cases of Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat, Papua’s chief prosecutor Maruli Hutagalung said. “We’re looking into the files now,” Hutagalung said.
The prosecutor’s office has seven days to decide whether the case should go to court.
Police arrested Dandois and Bourrat, who work for the Franco-GermanTV channel Arte, while they were filming suspected separatist rebels in the town of Wamena on August 6.
Police said the journalists were on tourist visas.
Local and international journalist advocacy groups condemned the detentions and demanded that their colleagues be deported instead. Papua has been the scene of low-level separatist conflicts for decades.
Foreign journalists have been restricted from reporting in the region for several years.
The government has said safety is the main consideration for the restrictions.
