Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto is set to grant amnesty to tens of thousands of prisoners, including activists convicted of defamation and those jailed in Papua for criticizing the government, according to a minister.
Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas stated on Friday that around 44,000 prisoners nationwide could receive pardons on humanitarian grounds and to alleviate the country's overcrowded prisons. This figure represents approximately 30% of all prisoners in the Southeast Asian nation, Andi noted.
Among those to be pardoned are individuals convicted under defamation and hate speech laws, including those who criticized the president under Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transaction Law. Additionally, around 18 activists imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression or protesting in Papua will be released, Andi said.
"This is part of the effort to reconcile with our friends in Papua. The government aims to foster a more peaceful environment in Papua," he explained. Papua has been a sensitive issue for Indonesia since it was integrated into the country in 1969 following a UN-backed referendum, which many Papuans argue did not represent their will.
Other beneficiaries of the pardon include non-dealer drug offenders and prisoners with chronic illnesses such as HIV. The government is currently finalizing the plan, including compiling lists of eligible prisoners, and will discuss it with parliament.
President Prabowo also proposed that pardoned individuals of productive age could participate in his program to achieve food self-sufficiency or join the military reserve force, according to Andi.
Indonesian prisons are notoriously overcrowded, a situation partly attributed to the country's strict narcotics laws, which prioritize incarceration over rehabilitation for drug-related offenses.
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