Indonesia's immigration service has detained a 39-year-old Russian man who was filming a rally by supporters of West Papuan independence in Wamena. The agency concluded that the filming did not match the purpose of his tourist visa and placed the man in an immigration detention room.
His name has not been released; the statement gives only the initials A.P. He arrived in Indonesia on 3 July through Ngurah Rai airport, and his visa was valid until 31 August. According to immigration officials, on 15 August he was in Wamena taking photos and video of a rally held by the West Papua National Committee, and he intended to post the material on Instagram and YouTube.
When officers examined his equipment, they found files containing offers of contracts for photo and video shoots, and the man admitted he was aware of them. The agency is now reconstructing his entire trip: his route, whom he met, where he went, and what he filmed and published.
It was not his first trip to Papua: immigration records show about ten visits between 2024 and 2026, and the trips had been growing more frequent. He told officers that he likes the nature and culture of Papua and that he had made acquaintances there on earlier visits; this time he planned to go to Korowai and Wamena.
"Indonesia is open to foreign tourists, but there are rules that must be respected. When someone enters as a tourist, their activities must match the permit they were issued," said immigration chief Hendarsam Marantoko. The man is accused of using his stay permit for purposes other than those it was granted for; no decision on further action has been made yet.
People are also deported from Bali for producing content on a tourist visa. In August, a foreigner who was filming paid videos on a business visa was deported from the island.
A tourist visa does not cover work or contract shoots, and immigration checks for this. To find out which visa suits a particular trip and what documents are needed, ask Legal Indonesia.
A week before the rally, on 8 August, there was a shooting in Wamena at the Baliem Valley Festival (Lembah Baliem): unidentified people opened fire at the entrance to the venue, two visitors were wounded and taken to hospital, foreign tourists were moved to the local administration building, and the festival programme was stopped. The shooters were not found.
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