Rizieq Shihab is still missing, or at least still not answering Jakarta Polices calls, but his supporters never stop defending the Islamic Defender Fronts top leader.
The National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Councils Fatwa (GNPF MUI) held a press conference this morning to assure the public that Rizieq is safe and sound, and more importantly, innocent.
GNPF MUI lawyer Kapitra Ampera, who led the press conference, said that the police and the public need not to worry Rizieq would run away from his ongoing legal cases, including the alleged defamation of state ideology Pancasila and the infamous sexting case.
Because hes a gentleman! said Kapitra.
He added that Rizieq had his own reasons for not coming to police questioning. Rizieq, according to Kapitra, was on Umra (a pilgrimage) during the first summon and was finishing up his study in Malaysia when the second summon came.
Moreover, he insisted that all Rizieqs cases were fabricated as the cleric is innocent. Why would anyone do that to the great cleric, you may ask. According to Kapitra, Its a revenge because Ahok was sent to jail.
He also claimed that Rizieqs pornography case is unreasonable as Rizieq was not close to Firza Husein.
"There is no such intimacy, as a public figure of muslim, (of course) people come to him [Rizieq]. He provides routine mass prayer and sermons at Petamburan [FPI Headquarters] as well," said Kapitra.
Firza is currently being questioned by Jakarta Police.
Meanwhile, Rizieq is still being sought after by the Jakarta Police as he already failed to show up twice for questioning as a witness in the pornography case.
On April 27, Rizieq was known to go on Umra (pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia, but has not returned to Indonesia since. The police has issued a warrant on Monday to find him and is planning to work with Interpol to get Rizieq if he remains missing.
Update: Police just confirmed that Rizieq is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the moment but still hasnt informed whether he will return to Indonesia soon. Meanwhile, FPI spokesperson Slamet Maarif told Kumparan that Rizieq might come home before Ramadan starts as his Islamic boarding school has events during the holy month.
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