Yusril Clarifies Three Issues on Interpol Fugitive Abdul Karim: Not Handed Over to Israel
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has explained the handling of Interpol fugitive Abdul Karim Raed Miqdad, a Palestinian passport holder. Yusril stated that Abdul Karim was deported to Cyprus under Interpol mechanisms.
Yusril revealed that on Wednesday (22/7/2026), he summoned the Cypriot Ambassador to Indonesia regarding the deportation of Palestinian national Abdul Karim Miqdad to Cyprus. The deportation was carried out at the request of Interpol, which had issued a red notice some time ago.
“This process did not happen suddenly, as communication between the Cypriot police and our police has been ongoing since 21 May 2026. However, the official red notice request was submitted on the 16th, if I am not mistaken, and the deportation was carried out on 17 July,” Yusril said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday (22/7/2026).
Yusril stated that the government had followed all procedures for handing over a wanted person requested under an Interpol red notice. The requesting country, he said, must report to Interpol that an individual who committed a crime in their country has been investigated, evidence has been gathered, and they will be prosecuted in court according to the laws of that country.
“So this is actually an individual case, not a state political case. Because there is such a request, as a member of Interpol we are obliged to fulfil that request, and it has been done,” he said.
After Abdul Karim was handed over to Cyprus, according to Yusril, various narratives developed in the public domain and on social media, necessitating government clarification. Yusril corrected the status of Abdul Karim, who was referred to as a Palestinian cleric and activist.
“Firstly, Miqdad is not a cleric. Because the narrative developing in public discourse is that we deported a Palestinian cleric. He is not a cleric, just an ordinary person, and he is 41 years old. Secondly, it was said that he is a humanitarian activist in Palestine or Gaza. It turns out he has been living in Indonesia for three years, and we have not detected any humanitarian activities carried out in Gaza,” he said.
Thirdly, according to Yusril, information spread as if after the government handed him over to Cyprus, Cyprus would then hand Abdul Karim Miqdad over to Israel. Yusril considered this issue sensitive because it does not align with the facts.
“But we have studied that based on the Interpol statute, if a person is requested by a requesting country for certain reasons, it is clarified by Interpol in Paris, in Lyon, France, and after that it is forwarded to all countries. And it has been clarified beforehand that the country concerned is bound by the Interpol statute and cannot hand over the wanted person to a third country. So it is impossible for him to be handed over to Israel,” Yusril explained.
“And in fact, the Indonesian government has also received telegraphic communication from the Cypriot side stating that they have no intention of handing this person over to Israel because he will be prosecuted in their own country. To dispel any doubts, I summoned the Cypriot Ambassador earlier and requested a commitment from the Cypriot government not to do that, and he has conveyed a commitment that the Cypriot government does not intend to hand the person concerned over to Israel,” he continued.
Yusril further clarified the choice of deportation rather than extraditing Abdul Karim. Yusril said the Indonesian government indeed has no extradition treaty with Cyprus.
“And we carried out the deportation because it was at the request of Interpol. And tonight I will also explain this matter to the Indonesian Ulema Council and to Islamic mass organisations who are questioning this issue, as if the Indonesian government is not committed to supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people,” he said.
Yusril stressed that the case of Abdul Karim is an individual matter involving a person allegedly engaged in crime in another country and, at the request of Interpol, was deported to the requesting country. Therefore, it has no connection whatsoever to support or lack thereof for Palestinian independence.
Confirming that Abdul Karim is a Palestinian national, Yusril assessed that the deportation was carried out due to alleged personal crimes classified as transnational organised crime.
“I cannot disclose what the crime is because the authority to prosecute lies with the Cypriot government. We primarily studied it, we repatriated him, and it has nothing to do with our commitment to supporting the Palestinian independence struggle,” Yusril stressed.
“So please separate these issues, because if this kind of narrative is spread—that we deported a Palestinian cleric, we deported a humanitarian activist, and that the person will be handed over to Israel—it is certainly not good for our government to have such perceptions. And therefore, I am clarifying to the public, especially the Muslim community, so they understand the context of this matter,” he added.