Jakarta: An Indonesian court has convicted six activists of treason for organising a protest demanding independence for the easternmost province of Papua, in a verdict slammed by rights groups.

The peaceful protest of about 100 people had been held outside the presidential palace and military headquarters on August 28 in the capital of Jakarta and followed a period of unrest in Papua.

Papuan students, their faces painted in the colours of the banned Morning Star flag, protest in Jakarta on August 28. Credit:Getty Images

In a sentencing hearing on Friday held online due to the coronavirus outbreak, Judge Agustinus Setya Wahyu Triwiranto said he had found the six defendants "guilty of treason".

Activists Ambrosius Mulait, Surya Anta, Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, and Arina Elopere were convicted and sentenced to nine months in prison, while Isay Wenda was given an eight-month sentence.