A New Zealand pilot is freed after 19 months in rebel captivity in Indonesia's Papua region
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A New Zealand pilot held hostage for more than a year in the restive Papua region of Indonesia was freed Saturday by separatist rebels. Phillip Mark Mehrtens, a 38-year-old pilot from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air when he was abducted by rebels from a remote airport on Feb. 7, 2023.
Separatist rebels release New Zealand pilot after 19 months in Indonesia's Papua region
Independence fighters led by Egianus Kogoya, a regional commander in the Free Papua Movement, stormed a single-engine plane on a small runway in Paro and abducted Mehrtens on Feb. 7, 2023. Kogoya initially said the rebels would not release the pilot unless Indonesia’s government allows Papua to become a sovereign country.
Papuan rebels claim a ransom was paid for New Zealander Phillip Mehrtens’ release after 19 months in captivity ...
Indonesia did not pay any ransom to free Philip Mark Mehrtens, a Susi Air pilot from New Zealand abducted by a Papuan armed ...
On behalf of the ULMWP, I wholeheartedly welcome the release of Phillip Mehrtens after one and a half years in captivity. The ...
New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens freed after more than 18 months in captivity in Indonesia’s Papua
An armed faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), led by Egianus Kogoya, kidnapped Mehrtens on Feb. 7, ...
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