Cadres Arrested By Anti-terror Detachment 88, The Ummah Party Doesn't Fire, Instead Provides Legal Aid

General Chairman of the Ummat Party Amien Rais/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Anti-terror Detachment 88 of the National Police arrested and named a DPW cadre of the Bengkulu Province Ummat Party with the initials RH as a terrorist suspect.

However, the Ummat Party did not deactivate RH because it did not want its cadres to face their own problems.

RH himself also works as a lecturer and is a member of the Bengkulu Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

"Until now, we have not deactivated RH. Apart from not clearing the fault in question, we don't want him to be alone in facing problems," said Ummat Party spokesman Mustofa Nahrawarddaya when contacted, Sunday, February 13. Instead, Mustofa said, the Ummat Party would provide legal assistance. The party created by Amien Rais confirmed that he would accompany RH through the legal process. "Every cadre has the right to get legal assistance from us. Therefore, we will assist," he said. Mustofa said that currently RH has been given legal assistance by the Bengkulu Ummat Party DPW. Assistance has been given since RH was arrested by Densus 88 a few days ago in Bengkulu. "The Bengkulu Ummat Party DPW has intensively provided legal assistance since RH was arrested," added Mustofa.

Meanwhile, the Bengkulu City Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) deactivated two of its administrators, terrorist suspects who were arrested by the Anti-terror Detachment 88. The two administrators are RH and CA. The head of Bengkulu City MUI, Yul Khamra, said that CA previously served as Chair of the Fatwa Commission. Meanwhile, RH served as Deputy Chair I in charge of the Bengkulu MUI Fatwa Commission.

"The deactivation was carried out considering that both of them had been named suspects by the National Police Headquarters some time ago," said Khamra, Sunday, February 13.