On the morning of 4 April 2003 a group of people broke into the weapons arsenal at Wamena District Military Command and escaped with weapons and ammunition. Two soldiers and one of the raiding party were killed in the clash. The military response was extreme: in the sweeping operation that followed, an investigation by the Indonesian human rights organisation KontraS revealed that nine people were killed and 38 tortured. Another 42 people died of hunger after 25 villages were forcibly evicted and the villagers were unable to reach their normal food supplies. Eight people were arrested in the sweep and prosecuted for the raid. The majority were tortured on arrest and the trial fell far below national and international legal standards. The eight men were given heavy sentences of either 20 years or life imprisonment. In December 2004 the prisoners were moved to Makassar, where one of them, Michael Heselo, died in 2007. Several of the other prisoners continue to suffer severe health problems which prison authorities have not treated, and one suffers from mental health issues.
Pada pagi hari 4 April 2003 sekelompok orang membobol gudang senjata milik Komando Distrik Militer Wamena dan melarikan diri dengan senjata dan amunisi. Dua tentara dan satu dari kelompok pembobol tewas dalam bentrokan itu. Militer pada saat itu menanggapi dengan membabi-buta: dalam operasi penyisiran setelah peristiwa tersebut, KontraS melalui laporan investigasinya mengungkapkan sebanyak 9 orang tewas dan 38 orang disiksa. 42 orang lainnya meninggal karena kelaparan setelah sebanyak 25 desa digusur secara paksa. Sebanyak 8 orang ditangkap dalam penyisiran tersebut dan dituntut atas peristiwa pembobolan tersebut. Hampir semuanya disiksa pada saat penangkapan dan pengadilan dilaksanakan jauh di bawah standar hukum nasional dan internasional. Delapan orang dikenai hukuman berat selama 20 tahun maupun penjara seumur hidup. Pada bulan Desember 2004 para tahanan dipindahkan ke Makassar dan salah satu dari mereka, Michael Heselo, meninggal pada tahun 2007. Beberapa tahanan lainnya terus menderita masalah kesehatan yang parah dan tidak mendapat perhatian dari pihak berwenang di penjara, sementara itu satu orang menderita masalah kesehatan mental.