Jakarta – Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto, the convicted murderer of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, received a remission of 9 months and 5 days as part of an annual nationwide program to reduce prison sentences on national holidays, including Independence Day, which falls on Aug. 17.

The former Garuda Indonesia pilot was sentenced in 2008 to 20 years' imprisonment, which he has since been serving at Sukamiskin Prison in Bandung, West Java.

"Earlier, Pollycarpus received remission of five months; 2 months and 15 days of which was granted because he donated blood. Then, another remission for a month and 20 days for being a coordinator of the prison's scout movement," head of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry's West Java penitentiary division Dedi Sutardi said in his office on Monday.

Pollycarpus has received remission every year twice a year – on Independence Day and Christmas day – since he was imprisoned at Sukamiskin.