Indonesia strips ex-police officer of citizenship for joining Russian forces

A former Indonesian police officer from an elite paramilitary unit who deserted his post and later claimed he had joined a Russian mercenary force fighting in Ukraine has been stripped of his citizenship, according to authorities.Muhammad Rio, a former member of the Aceh Police’s Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob), a paramilitary arm of Indonesia’s national police, lost his citizenship after joining a foreign armed force without authorisation, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said.“Anyone – whether a Brimob officer or an ordinary civilian – who joins a foreign military without the president’s permission automatically loses their Indonesian citizenship. That is clearly stipulated in the law,” Supratman told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.Rio had been absent without leave since December 8 after leaving his post, according to Tempo news magazine. The Aceh police issued two summonses for him on December 25 and January 6.On January 7, he sent a WhatsApp message and video to several superiors and colleagues saying he had joined Russia’s mercenary force, the Wagner Group, and outlining his pay.Members of Russia’s Wagner Group guard an area as others load a tank onto a truck in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023, during the group’s aborted uprising against Moscow. The mercenary force has been active in the war in Ukraine. Photo: AP“He described the registration process and the salary he received in roubles converted to rupiah,” Aceh Regional Police public relations head Joko Krisdiyanto said on Saturday.