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Indonesian Islamic cleric Rizieq Shihab arrested in Jakarta over COVID-19 breaches
Indonesian Islamic cleric Rizieq Shihab has been arrested in Jakarta on suspicion of breaching coronavirus restrictions by holding events that drew thousands of followers in the city, his lawyer said.
Key points:
- Six of Mr Rizieq’s supporters were killed in a shootout with police on Monday
- His Islamic Defender’s Front has a reputation for raiding bars and brothels, and violently cracking down on religious minorities
- Indonesia has recorded 611,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 18,600 deaths
Police were investigating the provocative and politically influential cleric for violating COVID-19 control measures after several mass gatherings were held to celebrate his return from self-exile in Saudi Arabia last month.
Mr Rizieq’s lawyer, Aziz…
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