After the Jakarta Police officially named Islamic Defenders Front Leader (FPI) Rizieq Shihab in a high-profile pornography case yesterday afternoon, law enforcement officials are now treating the hardline group’s founder, who is believed to still be in Saudi Arabia after avoiding previous police summons for questioning, as a potential fugitive from justice.
The head of public relations for the Jakarta Police, Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono, confirmed that investigators had found enough evidence to name Rizieq a suspect in the case even without having had a chance to question him and that they were still considering how they would apprehend him.
However, Argo did confirm that the police would immediately issue an arrest warrant against Rizieq. He also said that the Jakarta Police would soon issue an Interpol Red Notice to alert international law enforcement agencies that Rizieq was a fugitive from justice so that he could potentially be detained abroad and extradited to Indonesia.
“We will also issue a search notice if he does not return to the country, then we will issue a Red Notice,” Argo said as quoted by Merdeka.
According to Rizieq’s legal representatives, the FPI leader is furious about the charges and was planning to return to Indonesia soon.
“He’s very angry, he wants to go home soon,” one of Rizieq’s lawyers, Kapitra Ampera, said last night as quoted by Detik.
Kapitra said Rizieq was still in Saudi Arabia for meditation, but that he would soon call his client when he was more clear headed to discuss his plans to return to Indonesia. The attorney also said there were 726 other lawyers ready to defend Rizieq and the clergy.
And he’ll apparently be keeping all of those lawyers busy. Kapitra mentioned that Rizieq would fight the charges by suing in International Court, reporting it to the International Criminal Court as well as the UN Human Rights Council (despite his past problems with them, apparently).
Another one of Rizieq’s attorneys, Sugito Atmo Pawiro, also said yesterday that Rizieq was planning to come home soon, possibly even sometime this week, but he could not be certain as to the date.
“Insya Allah, he is waiting for the right time. But not much longer,” Sugito said as quoted by VIVA.co.id.
Yet another one of Rizieq’s lawyers, Eggi Sudjana, told media yesterday that Rizieq would remain in Saudi Arabia while his supporters cooled off.
According to Eggi, if Rizieq was forcibly picked up by the police when he arrived in Jakarta, the airport could be paralyzed by his supporters.
“Especially if the Habib (Rizieq Shihab) comes home, millions of people come in. The airport could be closed,” Eggi said as quoted by Tribun.
To find out the full story about Rizieq’s pornography case, be sure to read our detailed coverage of the latest developments:
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