New Zealand pilot freed after 19 months in captivity in Indonesia’s Papua
New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has been freed more than 19 months after being kidnapped by armed separatists in Indonesia’s Papua, authorities said on Saturday.
New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has been freed more than 19 months after being kidnapped by armed separatists in Indonesia’s Papua, authorities said on Saturday.
Mehrtens was freed and picked up by a joint team in the Nduga area and was undergoing health check-ups and a psychological examination in Timika regency, the Indonesian police said in a statement.
Indonesia’s Metro TV showed him tearfully speaking to his family by phone.
A faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), led by Egianus Kogoya, kidnapped Mehrtens on Feb. 7, 2023, after he landed a small commercial plane in the remote, mountainous area of Nduga.
“Through the long process of negotiation, with patience not to do it repressively, our priority has been the safety of the pilot through this long process,” Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in televised remarks.
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