Yusril: Abdul Karim's Arrest Not Based on Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has affirmed that the arrest of Palestinian national and Interpol fugitive Abdul Karim Raeq Miqdad could not be carried out under Indonesia’s Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP).
This is because Abdul Karim did not commit any criminal offence within Indonesian territory; rather, he was the subject of an Interpol arrest request over alleged offences committed in Cyprus.
“This was not an arrest under the KUHAP because the individual concerned did not commit a crime in Indonesia. The arrest was carried out to fulfil an Interpol request, after which he would be handed over to the requesting state in accordance with the applicable mechanism,” Yusril said when contacted in Jakarta on Monday.
He explained that Abdul Karim’s deportation was carried out under the international legal mechanism through Interpol and was not an abrupt action.
Yusril received a visit from the Palestinian Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday (24 July) to discuss developments in the handling of Abdul Karim’s case.
During the meeting, the Palestinian Embassy stated that Abdul Karim’s deportation is an individual matter that does not involve Palestinian government institutions nor affect the good relations between Indonesia and Palestine.
Accordingly, Yusril corrected reports claiming that Interpol’s red notice was only issued a day before the deportation took place, saying that information was inaccurate.
“This means the process has been running for quite some time and was not a decision taken suddenly,” he said.
He said the deportation was only carried out on 16 July 2026 after all procedures required under the Interpol mechanism had been fulfilled.
The Cypriot government then sent a private jet to collect Abdul Karim, while the handover was conducted by Indonesia’s NCB at Interpol’s request.
Yusril revealed that every request for the issuance of a red notice is not automatically approved by Interpol, as the international policing organisation usually conducts a thorough verification of the case submitted by the requesting state first.
“If such matters are involved, the request will certainly be rejected,” he said.
Yusril added that this 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 said the Indonesian government continued to pay attention to human rights protections throughout the process.
The Indonesian government has also received Abdul Karim’s family and legal counsel to provide explanations and to ensure that his rights remain safeguarded.
In addition, the Indonesian government has obtained assurances from the Cypriot government that Abdul Karim will not be handed over to a third country, including Israel, in accordance with the provisions of Interpol’s statutes.