inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra emphasized that Indonesia's commitment to the Palestinian struggle remains consistent and unchanged during an audience with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
This affirmation was made in connection with the recent deportation of Palestinian citizen and Interpol fugitive Abdul Karim Raeq Miqdad.
"The handling of this case does not change Indonesia's commitment to Palestine," Yusril stated when confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday (7/23/2026).
He stated that Indonesia's commitment to the Palestinian struggle has remained unchanged since 1948.
Therefore, Yusril stated, Abdul Karim's case is an individual criminal case within the jurisdiction of another country and should not be linked to Indonesia's political stance on Palestine.
Yusril explained that Abdul Karim's deportation was carried out under the Interpol red notice mechanism because Indonesia does not have an extradition treaty with the Republic of Cyprus.
"The Cypriot government has sufficient preliminary evidence and has named him a suspect for alleged crimes committed within the jurisdiction of Cyprus," he said.
He stated that communication between the Cyprus Police and the Indonesian National Police (INP) had been ongoing since May 21, 2026, long before Interpol issued the red notice on July 16, 2026.
After the notification was received by the NCB-Interpol Indonesia, the deportation process was carried out on July 17, 2026, and the Cypriot government sent a special plane with a police escort to pick up Abdul Karim in Jakarta.
He explained that Interpol has a strict mechanism before issuing a red notice, with one of the main requirements being to ensure that the case filed is not related to religion, politics, human rights, or the military.
In response to various information circulating in the public sphere, he also clarified the narrative that Abdul Karim was a Palestinian cleric or humanitarian activist in the Gaza Strip.
Based on coordination between the Indonesian government and the Palestinian Embassy in Jakarta, this information was confirmed to be false.
He also dismissed rumors that Abdul Karim would be handed over to Israel upon his arrival in Cyprus.
It was stated that the Indonesian government had requested direct guarantees from the Cypriot government, which ensured that Abdul Karim would not be handed over to a third country as this would be contrary to the provisions of the Interpol mechanism.
(ad/inp/pr/rs)
