Komnas HAM Wants Former ISIS Indonesians To Be Returned

Komnas HAM Commissioner, Choirul Anam. (Photo: DPR RI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government has not decided yet to repatriate around 600 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were former ISIS followers. Now they are in three camps, namely Al Roj, Al Hol, and Ainisa. The camp is under three powers, namely SDF (syrian democratic forces), the Syrian government, and the government of Kurdistan.

Komnas HAM commissioner Choirul Anam is of the opinion that the former ISIS citizen should be sent home. Given, he said, several years earlier the government had experience in repatriating a number of former terrorists.

"They must be sent home because the government has experience in 2017, 18 were sent home," said Choirul in a discussion in the Senayan area, Central Jakarta, Saturday, February 8.

According to Choirul, if they weren't sent home, the conditions there would get out of control. Yang Choirul was worried that they could run away and return to Indonesia without being identified, and that threat would be even greater.

Although a number of former terrorists have burned their passports, Choirul considers that legally there is no sufficient reason that they are no longer Indonesian citizens.

"All the rules regarding citizenship put the loss and so on in a clear context. So, there is no legal discourse that says that they are part of a foreign country," said Choirul.

Choirul further explained that they could be put on trial referring to the Terrorism Law Articles 12 a and 12 b. This article explains that Indonesian citizens who go abroad to carry out military training with terrorist groups can be punished.

"Because of his status as an Indonesian citizen, he went abroad for military training with a terrorist group that could be tried in Indonesia," he said.

Furthermore, Choirul still asked the government to repatriate the hundreds of former combatants. He emphasized that the government must first see the extent of their involvement in the ISIS group.

"They must be sent home. But, first, the most important thing is to prove the degree of their involvement in ISIS crimes," he added.

For information, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) is still verifying the identities of around 600 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were former ISIS followers. Because, until now there is no exact number that can be confirmed.

The option to return the Indonesian citizen is also uncertain. The reason is, currently BNPT together with Kemenkopolhukam officials are preparing a planning plan that contains two options related to ex-ISIS citizens, namely being sent home or not, and what are the impacts of the two options.

Even so, the Head of the BNPT, Suhardi Alius, received information from the Middle East intelligence team and the ICRC International Red Cross that the majority of the former members of the terrorist organization were women and children.

"Of the approximately 600 people who claim to be Indonesian citizens, we have received information that the majority are women and children," said Suhardi.