Rizieq evades prosecution: Police<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The police are searching for Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chairman
\nAl Habib Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, who fled to Jordan on April 7 en
\nroute to Iraq, even though he had been placed under house arrest.<\/p>\n
\"We will search for him, both abroad and throughout the
\ncountry, using the help of Interpol if necessary,\" city police
\nspokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo told reporters.<\/p>\n
Rizieq is a suspect in the acts of vandalism against
\nnightspots and entertainment centers in the city over the past
\nthree years. The latest incident took place on Oct. 4 last year,
\nwhen more than 400 FPI members attacked a discotheque and two
\nbilliard centers. Two people were injured in the incident.<\/p>\n
He is also charged with making offensive statements against
\nthe government and insulting government officials.<\/p>\n
If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of seven
\nyears in jail.<\/p>\n
Rizieq had been detained at police headquarters, but was
\nreleased and placed under house arrest in November, with the
\ncondition that he would provide a compulsory report of his
\nwhereabouts to the police every Monday and Thursday.<\/p>\n
His case was just submitted on Wednesday to the Jakarta
\nProsecutor's Office.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rizieq had failed to report to police in the last
\ntwo weeks. The police sent him an initial summons requiring him
\nto come to the station on Monday, but he ignored the summons.<\/p>\n
\"We have sent the second summons asking him to appear here on
\nWednesday,\" Prasetyo said.<\/p>\n
One of Rizieq's lawyers, Mahendradatta, promised that they
\nwould bring their client to police headquarters before 11 a.m. on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
But the lawyers arrived bringing with them only copies of
\nRizieq's passport and a visa to Jordan issued on March 23.<\/p>\n
The FPI had earlier mobilized their members and supporters for
\na jihad to defend the Iraqis in the U.S.-led war.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rizieq-evades-prosecution-police-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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