On 1 August 2014, Ruten Wakerkwa was arrested during a fight that broke out between Indonesian security forces and an armed group led by Enden Wanimbo in Ekanom village. He was detained in Lanny Jaya Regional police station, reportedly for having a photo of the Morning Star flag on his phone. Early reports indicate that he is likely to have faced torture in detention. Pada tanggal 1 Agustus 2014, Ruten Wakerkwa ditangkap pada saat pertempuran yang pecah di antara aparat keamanan dan kelompok bersenjata yang dipimpin oleh Enden Wanimbo di kampung Ekanom. Dia ditahan di Polres Lanny Jaya di mana ia dilaporkan memiliki foto bendera Bintang Kejora di HPnya. Laporan awal menunjukkan bahwa ia mungkin menghadapi penyiksaan dalam penahanan.