Kiwi pilot freed after 19 months in rebel captivity in Indonesia’s Papua region

Mr Mehrtens, centre, who was held hostage for more than a year in Papua (Endy Langobelen/AP)

A New Zealand pilot held hostage for more than a year in the restive Papua region of Indonesia was freed on Saturday by separatist rebels.

Phillip Mark Mehrtens, a 38-year-old pilot from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air when he was abducted by rebels from a remote airport on February 7, 2023.