Deputy Speaker of the MPR Praises Foreign Ministry's Move to Free Indonesian Citizens Detained by Israel

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat Nur Wahid welcomed the steps taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kementerian Luar Negeri, Kemlu) to free nine Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were briefly detained by Israel in the midst of the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission. He said the achievement is tangible proof of the state’s presence in carrying out the mandate of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, namely to protect all of its citizens. ‘Without needing to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, the Foreign Ministry was able to coordinate effectively with several friendly states such as Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan,’ he said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday. Hidayat urged the Foreign Ministry to keep safeguarding the repatriation of those nine Indonesians to Indonesia until they arrive safely at their respective homes. He added that the moment should be optimally utilised on the global diplomatic stage. In relation to Indonesia currently chairing the United Nations Human Rights Council, he urged the government to mobilise a united front with other countries whose citizens were also victims of Israeli abductions to impose international sanctions on Israel for its violations of human rights and international law. ‘That step will be more meaningful if Indonesia, together with other countries, continues to pursue legal avenues to impose sanctions on Israel for its violations of human rights and international law,’ he said. He also paid high tribute to the courage of humanitarian activists who remain steadfast in breaching the Gaza blockade in order to deliver aid despite life-threatening risks. Hidayat also condemned Israel’s actions, especially since the abducted activists are also alleged to have suffered violence and had their human dignity demeaned. Previously, Foreign Minister Sugiono would ensure that the nine Indonesian WNI volunteers from the humanitarian flotilla to the Gaza Strip who were released from Israeli prisons return to Indonesia safely. The nine Indonesians who joined the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 had left Israel and arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday (21 May) local time, ahead of their repatriation home. ‘The Indonesian government continues to coordinate with related parties to ensure the repatriation process of all Indonesians to the homeland runs smoothly,’ Sugiono said in a statement on Friday. He reiterated his strong condemnation of the Israeli army’s actions in the assault on the ships in the GSF 2.0 convoy earlier this week. ‘Indonesia strongly condemns the act of torture carried out by Israel against the Indonesian citizens during detention,’ he said. The detention of humanitarian activists such as the nine Indonesians, Sugiono said, is inhumane and constitutes a violation of international law and runs counter to humanitarian principles.