German Embassy Staff who Visit FPI Headquarters Prohibited from Returning to Indonesia

Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, said that the staff of the German Embassy (Embassy) who visited the headquarters of the Islamic Defenders Front some time ago, have been repatriated and prohibited from returning to Indonesia.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conveyed a decision that the Indonesian Government does not want the person concerned to return to Indonesia,” said Retno in an online press release on Tuesday, December 29.

Previously, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had taken diplomatic steps to follow up on the visit, by calling the head of the German Embassy in Jakarta to ask for clarification and protest.

During the meeting, the head of the German Embassy representative confirmed a visit from one of his staff to the FPI headquarters in Petamburan but emphasized that the visit was carried out on personal initiative and without the order or knowledge of the embassy leadership.

“The head of the representative expressed his apologies and regrets for the incident,” said the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

The German embassy also denied the contents of a statement from one of the FPI leaders, and confirmed that the incident did not reflect German Government policy. It was emphasized that the visit of one of its staff was not a form of support for the organization.

“The German Embassy also expressly expresses the support and commitment of the German Government to continue working with the Indonesian government to fight intolerance, radicalism and hate speech.”

The staff concerned was returned to Germany on December 21, 2020 to account for his actions and provide clarification to the German government. (L/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)