It is not only a moment of victory for Muslims."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - As many as 63,170 prisoners across Indonesia had their jail terms commuted as part of a special remission program in connection with Eid al-Fitr that falls on July 6.
"It is not only a moment of victory for Muslims. The Eid also brings a present that most prisoners who are Muslims, wait for, that is, the special Eid al-Fitr remission," the spokesman of the directorate general of penitentiaries, M. Akbar Hadiprabowo, said in a press release received here on Wednesday.
Based on the law, the Eid remission is given to Muslim prisoners who meet administrative as well as substantive requirements, including the condition that they should have served their jail term for a minimum of six months and are not listed in the F Register (prisoners having violated discipline) and should be active in counseling programs.
The special Eid remission is granted in two categories. The RK-1 Remission is given to those who will have to serve the rest of their jail terms even after the remission while RK-2 Remission is meant for those who will be free when their sentence is remitted.
A total of 62,470 prisoners fell in RK-1 category while 700 fell in RK-2 this year.
The number of prisoners who will be receiving remissions this year went up from 54,434 in 2015.
According to the data of the directorate general of penitentiaries, there were a total of 198,911 prisoners in 477 penitentiaries/detention centers across Indonesia till July 2016.
(Reporting by Aubrey Kandelila Fanani/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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