Yusril Confirms Abdul Karim Will Not Be Handed Over to Israel

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has stressed that Cypriot Interpol fugitive Abdul Karim Raeq Miqdad cannot be handed over to the Israeli government. He stated that the prevailing opinion suggesting Cyprus would surrender Abdul Karim to Israel contradicts Interpol’s statutes.

Indonesia has been a member of Interpol since 1956, and most countries in the world are members. Yusril explained that when a country requests Interpol to issue a red notice, the requesting country is not permitted to hand the deported person over to a third country, a principle enshrined in Interpol’s statutes. Should the Republic of Cyprus do this to Abdul Karim, Yusril said Cyprus’s credibility could be compromised, particularly regarding its Interpol membership.

Furthermore, he noted that through electronic communication, the Cyprus Police had informally responded to reports circulating in Indonesian mass media and social media about the potential handover. The Cyprus Police have confirmed to the Indonesian National Police that the reports are untrue and that under no circumstances would Cyprus surrender Abdul Karim to Israel.

Prior to the press conference, Yusril met with the Ambassador of Cyprus to Indonesia, Nikos Panayiotou, to request a guarantee that the Cypriot government would not hand Abdul Karim over to any third country following his deportation from Indonesia. The commitment was received, with the ambassador stating such an action would not align with Interpol statutes. Following his deportation from Indonesia, Abdul Karim will be tried in a Cypriot court after being named a suspect in a terrorism case based on preliminary evidence collected.

Abdul Karim was arrested in the Tangerang area, Banten, on Thursday (16/7) following the issuance of a red notice by Interpol Cyprus and was deported to Cyprus on Friday (17/7). Yusril revealed the process was not brief, as communication between the Cyprus Police and the Indonesian Police had been ongoing since 21 May 2026, though the official request was only acted upon by the Indonesian government after Interpol issued the red notice.