TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Kapitra Ampera, the lawyer of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Syihab, said that his client is still in Saudi Arabia. Kaptira said that he recently met Rizieq in a hotel near al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.
“At Zam-zam Tower,” Kapitra told Tempo yesterday. The FPI Instagram account on May 30 posted a video of Rizieq meeting several people, including his lawyers and FPI members. The meeting was held in a room facing al-Masjid al-Haram.
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Kapitra has confirmed the meeting, despite not being there. He said he had met Rizieq a few days before that. Also seen in the video were lawyer Eggi Sudjana and FPI executive board chairman Sobri Lubis.
Kapira declined to reveal the topics being discussed at the meeting. “I’m not allowed to tell,” he said.
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The lawyer said Rizieq rented several rooms together with his family. He denied that the FPI leader spent a lot of money for it. “No, it’s an ordinary hotel. After all, Habib [Rizieq] gets the backing of the Saudi government,” Kapitra said.
According to Kapitra, Rizieq has no plans to return home in the near future. He insists that his client is a victim of criminalization, adding that Rizieq will finish his dissertation in Saudi Arabia. “It’s 70 percent complete. While performing prayers, [he] will finish it,” the lawyer said.
Jakarta Metro Police has named Rizieq as a suspect in a pornography case. The latter has skipped two questioning so far.
EGI ADYATAMA