Nelson Roldão
Detainees- Gender
- Male
- Age group when first arrested
- Adult (25-64)
- Date of arrest
- Sep 2, 2024
- Occupation
- Activist
- Reason of arrest
- Wearing attributes of the independence struggle
- Arrested by (Institution)
- Police
- Arrested by (Unit)
- PNTL
- Type of violation
- Arbitrary Arrest
- Denial of Freedom of Expression
- Torture & Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment and Punishment
- Place of the first detention
- Border Force Office
- Place of the second detention
- PNTL Headquarters
- Concerns reported
- Arbitrary arrest
- Torture
- Current status
- Released
- Date of release
- Sep 2, 2024
- Sources
- Additional description
East Timorese intelligence and police personnel arrested a local human rights activist, Nelson Roldão, at Nicolau Lobato International Airport, Dili, East Timor, 2 September 2024. Nelson was arrested for wearing a bag with a Morning Star motif.
Security forces arrested Nelson as he and a friend were leaving the airport after dropping off a friend, a West Papuan activist. Security officers reportedly pointed a gun at Nelson and kicked him until immigration officers intervened.
Nelson was interrogated for two hours at the airport immigration office and then transferred to Timor Leste police headquarters for another two-hour interrogation. Police confiscated t-shirts, bags, flags and banners deemed to be associated with the West Papuan independence struggle. A number of accusations were levelled against Nelson by the police, including being accused of smuggling goods from abroad, escaping, and planning a demonstration during the Pope's visit.
Nelson was released the same day.
- Related detention facility
Latitude: -8.5494705894039
Longitude: 125.52483828101653
- Related detention facility (linked Detainees)
- TL Border Force officePNTL Headquarters
- Related event