May 26, 2026 | 06:28 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the House of Representatives (DPR) are urging the government to bring the kidnapping of activists and journalists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission before an international legal forum.Deputy Speaker of the MPR, M. Hidayat Nur Wahid, is pushing the administration to haul Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the alleged kidnapping and torture of Indonesian citizens (WNI) during the mission."It is only fitting for the government to take this case to the International Court so that heavy sanctions can be imposed on Israel, preventing such crimes from recurring," Hidayat said in a press release on Monday, May 25, 2026.Hidayat, popularly known as HNW, stated that testimonies from international activists revealed widespread physical violence during their detention by the Israeli military. One Indonesian volunteer, Rahendro Herubowo, claimed he was beaten and electrocuted while detained in Mediterranean waters."The video evidence and confessions from these activists must be followed up by bringing these human rights violations to the International Court of Justice," he added.According to HNW, securing the repatriation of the nine Indonesian citizens is not enough. He emphasized that the victims' right to justice must be upheld by legally pursuing the perpetrators.He further noted that several international legal instruments, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Geneva Conventions, and the UN Convention against Torture, could form the baseline for the lawsuit."Israel's actions have violated various international conventions ratified by UN member states," he said.HNW also mentioned that the Indonesian government could coordinate with Malaysia, which is currently mulling similar legal measures. "If necessary, the lawsuit should be filed jointly at the International Court of Justice," he suggested.Echoing the sentiment, Taufiq R. Abdullah, a member of the DPR's Commission I from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, urged the government to take more aggressive diplomatic actions, including dragging Israel before the United Nations (UN) forums.According to Taufiq, the international community must impose strict sanctions over the alleged torture of Indonesian citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla vessel."The Israeli military has repeatedly displayed criminal behavior toward humanitarian and peace missions. The UN must not be defeated by Israel's arrogance in disregarding international law," Taufiq said in a statement.He believes that Israel's military actions have crossed all humanitarian boundaries, pointing to the testimony of Rahendro, who endured severe violence during his detention. Rahendro recounted being dragged ashore, tightly shackled, beaten, stomped on, and electrocuted in a specialized interrogation room.Taufiq views the international community's silence so far as a tacit "green light" for Israel to continue its cross-border violations. "The international community's silence so far has given Israel the freedom to act arbitrarily," he said.He also urged the government not to focus solely on the repatriation of the victims, but to ensure their comprehensive recovery."We request thorough medical examinations and trauma-healing assistance to ensure the victims' physical and mental conditions are fully restored," he said.Nine Indonesian participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 mission arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Sunday, May 24, 2026. They were repatriated via Istanbul, Turkey, after being detained by the Israeli military during their humanitarian mission to Palestine.The group consisted of four journalists: Andre Nugroho (TV Tempo), Thoudy Badai and Bambang Noroyono (Republika), and Heru Rahendro (iNews), alongside five humanitarian activists: Andi Angga, Hendro Prasetyo, Herman Budianto, Ronggo Wirsanu, and Asad Aras.Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to this articleRead: Indonesia and 7 Countries Condemn Actions of Itamar Ben-GvirClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
