A total of 1,178 inmates are set to be freed on Friday, as announced by House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas, after Subianto signed a Presidential Decree granting amnesties.
Just two months after his inauguration in October, Subianto – the former son-in-law of Indonesia’s ex-dictator Suharto – declared plans to grant clemency to around 44,000 inmates across the nation, primarily those jailed for political reasons, to aid in national reconciliation.
Law Minister Agtas indicated that prioritization for pardons will be given to political prisoners, individuals with mental and chronic health conditions, older prisoners, minors, and those convicted of blasphemy or defaming the nation’s leader.
Among those released on Friday were significant adversaries of former President Joko Widodo, who were imprisoned during his presidency, including Hasto Kristiyanto, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the nation’s sole official opposition party.
Previously a supporter of ex-President Widodo who turned into a strong critic, Kristiyanto was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for bribery related to a scandal involving the appointment of legislative seats in 2019.
Upon his release from the Anti-Corruption Commission’s detention center in South Jakarta, where he had been held since February, Kristiyanto addressed an assembly, saying, “We must learn from this incident.”
Agtas also mentioned the cessation of criminal proceedings against former Trade Minister Tom Lembong, another former Widodo ally who later supported rival Anies Baswedan in the 2024 presidential election.
Lembong had been sentenced to over four years in prison in July for allegedly misusing his authority as minister by improperly granting sugar import permits.
“Both [Kristiyanto and Lembong] have shown dedication to the country, and we now prioritize strengthening national unity,” Agtas declared.
Additionally, six independence activists from Indonesia’s volatile West Papua region, imprisoned for treason, were also freed.
Agtas stated that authorities intend to submit another list of 1,668 prisoners for release to parliament in the coming days.
