Police Need to Accelerate Legal Process Against FPI's Rizieq Shihab: Lawyers, Activists
Jakarta. Several watchdog organizations and experts have called on the National Police to process reports against the leader of hardline Islamic Defenders' Front, or FPI.
Petrus Selestinus, who coordinates a team of lawyers called the Team of Defenders of Indonesian Democracy, said that if reports filed against FPI's Rizieq Shihab are not processed, the sense of justice will be undermined.
"The legal process against Rizieq Shihab should start soon, to address the public's sense of justice," Petrus said in Jakarta on Tuesday (27/12).
"The state should be firm towards anyone, individuals or groups, who try to bend its power for their interests," he added.
Rizieq has recently been reported for defaming Indonesia's first President Sukarno and for insulting Christians— the first report was filed by Sukarno's daughter, Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, the second one by the Indonesian Catholic Students Association (PMKRI).
A group of Muslim students, who call themselves the Student Peace Institute (SPI), have also reported Rizieq to the Jakarta Police.
According to SPI director Doddy Abdallah, Rizieq's recent public remarks regarding Christmas contained hate speech and could disrupt religious harmony in Indonesia.
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