RI may deport Abu Quassey

RI may deport Abu Quassey

JAKARTA: Indonesia is considering deporting Abu Quassey, an Egyptian detained for visa violations, to Egypt, justice and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Monday.

"If Abu Quassey can be prosecuted in Egypt in accordance with Egyptian law, we will consider deporting him to Egypt rather than Australia," Yusril was quoted by Antara as saying.

Mootaz Attia Mohammad Hasan, also known as Abu Quassey, is being held at an immigration detention center here after serving a six-month prison sentence for visa violations.

Quassey has admitted he organized the October 2001 voyage which led to the deaths of about 350 mostly Iraqi asylum-seekers as they headed for Australia in a dilapidated and overcrowded boat which sank.

The minister said he had met Egyptian embassy officials and asked them if Quassey could be charged with people-smuggling if he were extradited to Egypt. The embassy promised to give the reply in two weeks, he said.

Unlike Australia, Indonesia did not charge Quassey with people-smuggling because it does not have laws against the practice. --Antara