Polri Reveals Sheikh Ahmad Al Misry's Attempt to Renounce Indonesian Citizenship for Egyptian Nationality
The Secretary of the Indonesian NCB Interpol at Polri’s International Relations Division, Brigadier General Untung Widyatmoko, explained that SAM is currently detected in Egypt. However, to date, Egyptian authorities have not provided an official response regarding Polri’s request to facilitate the examination of the suspect as per the investigators’ request from the Directorate of PPA and PPO Criminal Acts at Bareskrim Polri.
“SAM is still in Egypt. Until today, the Egyptian authorities have not given an official response about our request to accommodate the examination of the individual,” said Untung to reporters on Wednesday (13/5/2026).
Untung revealed that Sheikh Ahmad Al Misry holds dual citizenship, Indonesian and Egyptian. Sheikh Ahmad Al Misry is suspected of attempting a legal manoeuvre by releasing his Indonesian citizenship status.
“Officially, the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo communicated with me at 11:00 WIB about SAM’s efforts to release his Indonesian citizenship,” he disclosed.
This effort to release WNI status is said to be the suspect’s desire. If the WNI status is released, SAM will have single Egyptian citizenship status and obtain the principle of citizen protection from the local government.
“The suspect’s effort. By releasing his WNI status, he will certainly only have single status and obtain the principle of citizenship protection from Egypt,” Untung explained.
According to Untung, this will complicate Polri’s steps. This is because the Interpol Red Notice application against Sheikh Ahmad Al Misry is still based on his status as a WNI.
“This is interesting, it will certainly complicate us because the Interpol Red Notice application against the individual is still WNI status,” Untung stated.
In addition, he continued, this change in citizenship status will alter the path of international cooperation. If SAM remains a WNI, Polri can pursue the Police to Police (P to P) Cooperation route for a relatively short and easy deportation process.
“Thus, the efforts must go through a long and lengthy extradition route. It cannot go through P to P Cooperation,” Untung explained.
“However, if he releases his WNI status, the efforts must go through a long and lengthy extradition route. It can no longer go through P to P Cooperation,” he clarified.
Regarding the citizenship release process, Untung emphasised that it is not Polri’s authority. Rather, it is the domain of the Indonesian Ministry of Law through the General Legal Administration (AHU) sector.
“Of course, citizenship is not our domain. That is under the Indonesian Ministry of Law,” Untung concluded.
For information, Sheikh Ahmad Al Misry is currently being pursued by Bareskrim Polri over allegations of sexual harassment crimes against his students. This case has advanced to the investigation stage, and Sheikh Ahmad Al Misry has been named a suspect.