Yusril: Abdul Karim's Arrest Not Based on Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has stressed that the arrest of Palestinian national and Interpol fugitive Abdul Karim Raeq Miqdat could not be carried out based on the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP). This is because Abdul Karim did not commit a crime within Indonesian territory, but was the subject of an arrest request from Interpol over alleged criminal acts in Cyprus. “This is not an arrest based on KUHAP because the individual did not commit a crime in Indonesia. The arrest was made to fulfil an Interpol request for subsequent transfer to the requesting country according to the applicable mechanism,” Yusril said when confirmed in Jakarta on Monday. He explained that the deportation process for Abdul Karim was conducted through international legal mechanisms via Interpol and was not a sudden action. Yusril had received a visit from the Palestinian Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday (24/7) to discuss developments in the handling of Abdul Karim’s case. During the meeting, the Palestinian Embassy stated that Abdul Karim’s deportation was an individual matter that did not involve Palestinian government institutions nor affect the good relations between Indonesia and Palestine. Consequently, Yusril corrected reports claiming that the Interpol Red Notice was only issued a day before the deportation was carried out, stating that such information was incorrect. “This means the process had been running for quite a long time and was not a decision taken suddenly,” he said. He conveyed that the deportation decision was only executed on 16 July 2026 after all required procedures through the Interpol mechanism were fulfilled. The Cypriot government subsequently sent a private jet to pick up Abdul Karim, while the handover was carried out by the Indonesian NCB at Interpol’s request. Yusril revealed that not every request for a Red Notice issuance is automatically approved by Interpol, as the international police organisation typically conducts a thorough verification of the case submitted by the requesting country first. “If it concerns such matters, the request would certainly be rejected,” he said. Yusril added that the mechanism had been clarified directly by Interpol in Lyon, France. Therefore, the Indonesian government carried out the request in accordance with applicable international cooperation procedures. On the other hand, Yusril stated that the Indonesian government continued to pay attention to human rights protection aspects throughout the process. The Indonesian government has also received Abdul Karim’s family and legal counsel to provide explanations and ensure that his rights were observed. Furthermore, the Indonesian government has obtained a guarantee from the Cypriot government that Abdul Karim will not be handed over to a third country, including Israel, in accordance with the provisions of the Interpol Statute.