Yusril visits MUI, clarifies Palestinian deportation: Purely criminal, he is not a cleric

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Prisons, Prof. Yusril Ihza Mahendra, visited the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in Jakarta to address public speculation surrounding the deportation of a Palestinian national, Abdul Karim Miqdad. The visit aimed to provide an official explanation regarding the case.

Mahendra clarified that Miqdad is not an Islamic scholar or humanitarian activist, as some reports suggested, but an ordinary individual involved in a legal matter. "I hope this explanation helps the public understand that the person deported is an ordinary individual, not a cleric. This is just an ordinary individual case, a common legal violation," Mahendra told reporters after a closed-door meeting.

The minister further explained that the deportation was executed by the National Central Bureau (NCB) Interpol Indonesia based on an official request from NCB Cyprus through the Interpol mechanism in Paris. He stressed that the process underwent thorough legal review and adhered strictly to Interpol's statutes and constitution. Mahendra asserted that the handling of the case was purely an enforcement of law concerning alleged criminal acts in Cyprus, ensuring no international legal norms were violated by the Indonesian government.

Addressing public concerns about Miqdad potentially being handed over to Israeli authorities by Cypriot officials, Mahendra strongly denied such narratives. He revealed intensive coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a specific meeting with the Cypriot Ambassador to Indonesia to seek explicit assurances and written guarantees regarding Miqdad's fate.

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I hope this explanation helps the public understand that the person deported is an ordinary individual, not a cleric. This is just an ordinary individual case, a common legal violation.