FBI Director Meets President Prabowo, Returns Smuggled Indonesian Cultural Artifacts

President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia received Indonesian cultural artifacts returned by the United States through Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel. The handover took place during Patel's courtesy visit to Prabowo's residence in Kertanegara, Jakarta, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. This repatriation is part of the cooperation between Indonesia and the United States in returning illegally smuggled cultural artifacts. Minister of Culture Fadli Zon stated that in addition to official discussions, Kash Patel personally handed over the Indonesian cultural artifacts to President Prabowo. This act signifies the collaboration between the Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Culture, and the FBI in repatriating cultural heritage. "Besides discussions as friends, officially he also brought cultural artifacts as part of the cooperation between the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Culture and the FBI, which is the return of cultural objects, cultural artifacts, that were illegally smuggled to the United States and after provenance research or origin research was conducted," said Fadli Zon, as quoted from a press release from the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday, July 23, 2026. "Then these objects were returned and brought directly by Mr. Kash Patel to Mr. President Prabowo Subianto," he added. The repatriated artifacts originate from Papua, representing the cultural heritage of the Dani, Asmat, and Danau communities in the Sentani Lake region. According to Fadli Zon, these items hold significant historical and cultural value for Indonesia. "I believe these are very valuable objects because this repatriation process is an effort to restore our cultural sovereignty," he remarked. Fadli Zon also noted that cooperation with the FBI regarding the return of cultural artifacts has been ongoing, with the FBI having previously assisted in repatriating various stolen Indonesian cultural items, including bronze statues and artifacts from several historical sites. "We hope that cooperation with the FBI, especially concerning the repatriation and restitution of these cultural objects, will be strengthened in the future, with support from the State Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Fadli Zon stated. He emphasized that the return of these artifacts is part of the government's commitment to restoring national cultural sovereignty and enriching public knowledge about the nation's historical heritage. The repatriated artifacts are slated for exhibition at the National Museum, allowing the public to study and appreciate them. "I think this is part of the effort to restore our cultural sovereignty to perfect cultural knowledge, and we will certainly exhibit these at the National Museum," Fadli Zon concluded. During the meeting, President Prabowo was accompanied by the Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) M. Herindra, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Deputy Speaker of the Gerindra Party Faction in the House of Representatives Budi Djiwandono.