New Zealand pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens, held hostage for over a year by separatist rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region, was freed on Saturday. Mehrtens, 38, was abducted on February 7, 2023, while working for Susi Air. He expressed joy at his release and thanked those who helped. Television showed an emotional Mehrtens speaking to his family via video. Rebels in Papua, seeking independence, have escalated violence recently. Initially, they demanded Papua’s sovereignty for Mehrtens’ release but later proposed terms involving media coverage. Mehrtens was flown to Jakarta to reunite with his family.