JAKARTA – A firebrand Indonesian Muslim cleric was arrested today for allegedly breaching coronavirus restrictions after he held a series of sermons with tens of thousands of followers.
Rizieq Shihab’s arrest came just days after city police shot dead six followers of his hard-line Islamist group in a highway shoot-out.
He will be detained for 20 days to prevent him from fleeing and destroying evidence, said the force.
“Another reason for the detention is for him not to repeat the offence,” said national police spokesman Argo Yuwono today.
If found guilty, he could face up to six years behind bars for breaching Covid-19 rules.
Rizieq was welcomed by tens of thousands of followers at the airport here upon his return from exile last month, in violation of a virus ban on gatherings.
As dozens who attended that gathering subsequently tested positive for the disease, police summoned him several times for questioning.
Indonesia has reported more than 600,000 infections and over 18,500 deaths, with authorities imposing nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Despite the restrictions, Rizieq held sermons, a celebration of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, and his daughter’s wedding – all of which were attended by thousands of people.
The charismatic leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) fled to Saudi Arabia shortly after police named him a suspect in a pornography case in 2017, and remained in exile for three years.
Since his return, he has called for a “moral revolution”.
FPI is notorious for targeting nightclubs and other establishments it deems “immoral”, and has also attacked minority Muslim sects it considers “deviant”.
Rizieq was among the main figures behind mass rallies in 2016 against the then governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, over allegations that the leader insulted the Quran.
Basuki, who is Christian, was sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy. – AFP, December 13, 2020
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