Indonesias Prague Embassy to Protest Following Raid at Islamic Foundation

By Amie Fenia Arimbi Jakarta (Antara) - Indonesia's embassy in Prague will write a protest note to the Czech Republic's government regarding the recent police raid at the Islamic Foundation building in Prague, where there were 10 Indonesians, an embassy official said. "We are planning to send a note protesting the raid on Monday. We also want an explanation from the police force regarding the raid," acting social and cultural affairs officer at Indonesia's embassy in Prague Wahono Yulianto, who was in the mosque inside the building at the time of the raid, said on Monday. Previously, it was reported that on Friday, April 26, the Prague police force had raided a mosque inside the Islamic Foundation building. The raid was allegedly conducted due to a suspicion that the foundation had printed a book containing controversial and radical issues. The raid occurred before the Friday prayers, when there were several people from different nations inside the mosque (10 among them were Indonesians: 9 diplomats and one student). "The police officers wore complete armors and face masks. They came right before we started the Friday prayers. One of the police officers put his gun on my head," Wahono said. According to him, the police officers told the people inside the mosque to put their hands up and not do anything. "After 40 minutes, one of the police officers asked whether some of us in the mosque hold a diplomatic passport. Then six of Indonesians with diplomatic passports were released 1.5 hours later, while the rest were released after two hours," Wahono added. Until now, the Czech Republic's police force and the government had not issued a statement regarding the raid. (*)