Indonesia expresses regret for assault on Nigerian diplomat, launches internal investigation
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On Thursday, August 12, Indonesia’s foreign ministry expressed its regret after a senior Nigerian diplomat, Mr. Abdulrahman Ibrahim, was forcibly restrained by immigration officers in Jakarta. A video of the incident, which took place on August 7, was widely shared on social media platforms. The video showed Mr. Ibrahim being pinned down in a vehicle by several officers. The diplomat could be heard saying “I can’t breathe” in the video. According to Indonesia’s immigration office, Mr. Ibrahim had allegedly been uncooperative during routine checks on the validity of permits held by foreigners. Mr. Teuku Faizasyah, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Indonesia, said that the ministry regretted the incident and that the law and human rights ministry had launched an internal investigation over the actions of the immigration officers. The foreign minister of Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, strongly condemned the incident, calling it “an egregious act of international delinquency by Indonesian state actors.” The incident also prompted Nigeria to recall its ambassador to Indonesia for consultations.
