"At that time, he said to me, 'I want there to be amnesties, pardons, and other forms of clemency—including rehabilitation—every time we celebrate August 17', Supratman stated during a podcast titled What's Up Kemenkum, streamed online on Wednesday evening.
He explained that the idea was expressed by President Prabowo shortly after his inauguration and his appointment as Minister of Law.
As a result, he noted, the recent wave of amnesties and abolitions issued ahead of the 80th Independence Day will not be the last.
“There will be a second and third phase of amnesty. We are currently verifying the data of the next recipients,” he added.
The Minister said the initiative came directly from President Prabowo as part of his vision to promote national unity.
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President Prabowo believes that resolving the nation’s complex social, political, cultural, and economic challenges requires a unified society, Supratman said.
“That's why, as soon as the request came at the start of his term, we began preparing and collecting the necessary data,” he added.
The clemency policy also responds to longstanding concerns over prison overcrowding across the country, with correctional facilities and detention centers operating far beyond capacity.
Under Indonesian law, abolition is a presidential right to terminate legal proceedings or drop criminal charges, based on parliamentary consideration. Amnesty, meanwhile, is a presidential pardon that erases criminal penalties for individuals or groups convicted of certain crimes.
Most recently, abolition was granted to former Trade Minister (2015–2016) Tom Lembong, who had been sentenced to four years and six months in prison and fined Rp750 million (approx. USD 45,000) for his role in a sugar importation corruption case.
Meanwhile, amnesty was granted to 1,178 convicts, including Hasto Kristiyanto, Secretary-General of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), who was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and fined Rp250 million after being found guilty of obstructing justice in the corruption investigation involving fugitive Harun Masiku.
Related news: Minister defends pardons for Tom Lembong, Hasto
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Translator: Agatha, Azis Kurmala
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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