House Commission I Pushes for Accelerated Release of Four Indonesian Hostages in Somalia
A member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Syamsu Rizal, is pushing for the accelerated release of four Indonesian citizens (WNI) being held hostage in Somalia. The four are part of the crew of the MT Honour 25, which was hijacked by pirates in Somali waters in April 2026.
“We are coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related parties to plan the release of the four Indonesian hostages and the other hostages,” Syamsu Rizal stated in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday.
He noted that Law Number 3 of 2025 concerning amendments to the TNI Law regulates military operations other than war, including the protection of Indonesian citizens abroad. He added that a military operation could be a last resort if all other efforts fail.
Syamsu called for the optimisation of Indonesia’s defence structures abroad, including defence attachés and intelligence elements, to provide measured input and steps for the rescue and repatriation of the hostages. He also highlighted the difficulties in monitoring the situation, as the hostages’ location frequently changes, and the ransom demand has fluctuated from an initial US$2 million to US$5 million, and most recently to US$10 million.
“We are asking the TNI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant ministries to form a task force so that efforts to rescue the Indonesian citizens in Somalia can be carried out in a measured manner,” he said.
Syamsu explained that the company employing the crew is prepared to comply with any decisions made but has limited financial capacity. He therefore hopes the government will step in by forming a task force to obtain clear information regarding the ransom amount and rescue steps, while prioritising the safety of the Indonesian nationals.
To strengthen coordination for the task force’s formation, Syamsu played a video during a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the TNI. “I showed the video, played it for everyone. The moments when he [the victim] was praying, when he was filtering murky water from a mineral water bottle, and Ashari’s statement were all recorded on video. I showed it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the TNI so they could form a task force. It was reported so they can coordinate,” he said.
Meanwhile, the father of MT Honour 25’s captain, Syamsuddin Ashari, pleaded with the government to immediately rescue his son, Ashari Samadikun, and his colleagues, who have been held hostage for approximately three months. He said the family has not received any news for nearly a month and is unaware of the victims’ condition or the progress of the case.
“We have truly received no news at all, so we do not know their condition or the progress of this case. The latest information suggested the crew were no longer on the ship, but this could not be verified,” he said.
The four Indonesian nationals held by Somali pirates are Captain Ashari Samadikun from Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi; Adi Faizal from Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi; Wahudinanto from Pemalang Regency, Central Java; and Fiki Mutakin from Bogor Regency, West Java.