Phillip Mark Mehrtens, New Zealand pilot for Jetstar, appears thin and pale in a video published a few days ago. The 38-year-old man was captured on February 7, 2023 by the armed separatist group.
West Papuan Liberation Army rebels kidnapped him after storming his plane as he was supposed to evacuate 15 construction workers. Separatist spokesperson Sebby Sambom wrote on Facebook that he would be held hostage in negotiations with Indonesia, but warned that if Jakarta refused to negotiate or intervened militarily, the pilot "would be executed"