TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two Indonesian students of Al-Azhar University from West Sumatra have been detained by Egypt authorities since August 1 for alleged illegal entry. They are Nurul Islami and Muhammad Hadi.
Pangeran Arsyad Ihsanul Haq, the president of the Indonesian Students Association (PPMI) Egypt branch, said that Nurul and Hadi were in Samanud, around 130 kilometers from Cairo when local police arrested them. The Egyptian government bans foreigners from entering the region since the past couple of years due to the political situation. “Despite the fact that they are not involved in any criminal act,” Pangeran said yesterday, August 10.
PPMI Egypt branch gathered that the two students came to their previous property in Samanud to retrieve their belongings. They had moved out to Cairo since the Egyptian government named Samanud as a forbidden area.
When they left the house to buy drinks at night, local authorities arrested them. They are now detained in Markaz Aga, Ad-Daqohliyyah Province.
As of press time, PPMI has yet to contact Nurul and Hadi. But it has coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Cairo to lobby the Egyptian government to free them. “The KBRI has sent a diplomatic note to the Grand Syeikh, the National Security and the Foreign Ministry to free the two students,” Pangeran said.
Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Helmi Fauzi said that the KBRI officials have visited the detention house. However, security officers did not allow the officials to meet the students. “We will dispatch a lawyer to free them,” he said.
Earlier in June, four students from Balikpapan, Bandung and Lampung were also detained for entering Samanud. They have now been deported.
INDRI MAULIDAR | ANDRI EL FARUQI
