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JAKARTA, Dec. 12 (AP): An Indonesian cleric turned himself in to authorities Saturday after he was accused of inciting people to violate pandemic restrictions by holding events with large crowds.
Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, arrived at the Jakarta police headquarters a day after police warned that he would be arrested after he ignored several summons.
Wearing a white coat, turban and mask, Shihab told reporters that he never escaped or hid from the police.
“With God’s permission, I can go to the Jakarta police for an investigation according to the laws and regulations,” he said before questioning.
Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus said at a press conference on Friday that Shihab is accused of ignoring measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 by holding an event to mark the birthday of Prophet Muhammad and the wedding of his daughter last month who drew thousands of his supporters.
He said Shihab could face up to six years in prison if convicted of inciting people to violate health regulations amid an outbreak and obstructing law enforcement.
Shihab’s presence at various events in Jakarta and West Java drew huge crowds, attendees conspicuously ignoring the physical distancing, and many not wearing masks.
The Governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, and the Governor of West Java, Ridwan Kamil, have been questioned as witnesses in the case.
The meetings took place less than a week after his arrival from a three-year exile in Saudi Arabia.
Shihab left Indonesia in 2017 for a pilgrimage to Mecca shortly after police accused him of a pornography case and insulting the official ideology of the state. The police dropped both charges a year later due to weak evidence, but the Saudi Arabian authorities had prohibited him from leaving the country without an explanation.
The Islamic Defenders Front, known by its Indonesian acronym FPI, has a long history of vandalizing nightspots, throwing stones at Western embassies and attacking rival religious groups. He wants Islamic Shariah law to apply to Indonesia’s 230 million Muslims.
The group has gained significant influence in recent years through humanitarian and charitable work. He was a key organizer of massive street protests in 2016 and 2017 against the Christian governor of Jakarta, who was subsequently jailed for blasphemy.
Indonesia has reported more than 600,000 coronavirus cases, the highest count in Southeast Asia and the second in Asia alone after India’s 9.8 million cases. – AP
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