Asia18 July, 20263 min read
Indonesia Arrests Palestinian Activist Abdul Karim Raed Miqdad, Deports Him to Cyprus
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Palestinian activist Abdul Karim Raed Miqdad deported to Cyprus within 24 hours. Officials face fears deportation could lead to extradition to Israel.
Arrest, Interpol, Deportation
Indonesian authorities arrested Palestinian activist Abdul Karim Raed Miqdad and deported him to Cyprus in less than 24 hours, according to the Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties and the arrest warrant described by Al Jazeera.
The Indonesian Ulema Council’s head of foreign affairs, Dr. Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, said the government had not issued any official statement and that information was limited, while noting the arrest was reported as carried out by Indonesian law enforcement authorities based on information suggesting an Interpol request.
Al Jazeera Net’s account of the arrest warrant said it relied on a request from Interpol for a suspect believed to be at risk of flight or to destroy or conceal evidence, and that the warrant cited Indonesian anti-terrorism laws alongside Interpol’s Red Notice and an international notice issued by Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Nicosia, Cyprus.
The arrest order was issued by Unit 88 for Counterterrorism of the Indonesian Police, and the warrant stated he could be arrested for two weeks and jailed for seven additional days at most, even though he was deported within less than 24 hours.
VOI.ID reported that MUI’s Prof. Dr. Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim said MUI in principle respects the authority and duties of Indonesian law enforcement officers acting under the constitution and international commitments, while emphasizing due process, transparency, accountability, and justice as the foundation of legal enforcement.
MUI Demands Clarity
Dr. Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim urged Jakarta authorities to issue an official clarification about Maqdad’s arrest and deportation, saying the government had not yet issued any official statement and that circulating information was limited and raised questions and speculation.
He said MUI respects in principle the powers of Indonesian law enforcement under the constitution, laws and regulations, and Indonesia’s international obligations, but insisted that respect for those powers must be accompanied by due process, human rights, transparency, accountability, and justice.
VOI.ID quoted Prof. Sudarnoto telling reporters that MUI hopes that if legal proceedings are underway, “all stages will be carried out openly,” and that the parties concerned must be given rights guarantees including legal assistance and access to authorized representatives.
Al Jazeera Net reported that the arrest warrant stated the arrest relied on Interpol information about a suspect at risk of flight or destroying or concealing evidence, and that it was issued by Unit 88 for Counterterrorism of the Indonesian Police.
VOI.ID also reported that MUI asked the Indonesian government to pay serious attention to the humanitarian and international political dimensions of the case, and that it reminded the government to uphold the principle of non-refoulement if Miqdad is deported or transferred to another country.
Rights Group Fears Israel
Human rights organizations warned that the transfer to Cyprus could be a preliminary step toward extradition to Israel, with the Palestine Chronicle Staff citing what it described as a lack of transparency surrounding the legal basis for Miqdad’s arrest and rapid deportation. The Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties said it was following the case with “grave concern,” and argued that an Interpol Red Notice does not relieve national authorities of obligations under international human rights law, while insisting that any extradition request must be subject to rigorous judicial scrutiny. Quds News Network reported that the Geneva Council said documents it examined lacked any presentation of the facts attributed to the detainee, a statement of evidence, or a specification of the nature of the acts, raising concerns about whether fair trial guarantees were respected.
The Geneva Council also said Miqdad was allowed to contact his family on Saturday, and that the council was informed he was granted permission to contact his family on Saturday morning, while the warrant described a detention window that did not match the speed of deportation. The Geneva Council urged Cypriot authorities to halt any measures that could lead to his surrender to the Israeli occupation and to fully comply with the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, invoking the principle of non-refoulement as a rule prohibiting transfers where there is a risk of torture or grave violations.