Hermanus Bin Bison
Sources
Indonesian land rights activist Hermanus Bin Bison, who was arrested in February 2020 with another activist for harvesting palm oil fruit from land that his community claims in Central Kalimantan, died in custody on 26th April 2020 after being denied medical treatment. He was detained after a complaint from the palm oil company PT Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada (HMBP), an affiliate of the BEST Group, that has been accused of stealing community land. The situation was exacerbated by an overcrowded and unhygienic prison cell. Requests from his family, legal counsel and medical doctor to enable him to receive adequate healthcare while in detention and to relocate him to a proper facility were denied. The courts also forced Hermanus, who was already suffering from an illness prior to his detention, to be present at the trial in a wheelchair while his health deteriorated.