Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will reduce the number of potential amnesty or legal pardon prisoner candidates. Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas revealed that only 19,000 prisoners will receive amnesty, decreased from the previous number of 44,000 people.
Supratman said that the initial figure jointly set by the Ministry of Immigration and Penitentiary (Imipas) was 44,000. However, the Directorate General of General Legal Administration at the Ministry of Law reverified and assessed the candidates.
"So the number has decreased from 44,000 to approximately 19,000," Supratman said during the working meeting of the Ministry of Law with Commission XIII at the parliament building, Central Jakarta, Monday, February 17, 2025.
Supratman stated that the assessment of the prisoners is still ongoing. Moreover, the figure of 19,000 potential amnesty recipients is not confirmed yet. "The number 19,000 is not certain either, as we continue to verify," he said.
The government targets President Prabowo Subianto to announce the amnesty before the 2025 Eid al-Fitr. The names of selected prisoners will be handed by Supratman as the Minister of Law to Prabowo for follow-up action.
"Hopefully, before the upcoming Eid al-Fitr remission, this amnesty can also be announced by the President. That's our hope," said Supratman.
Several days earlier, Minister of Imipas Agus Andrianto had stated that the process of sorting out 44,000 potential amnesty or legal pardon prisoners would be completed before the 2025 Eid al-Fitr.
From the initial number of 44,000, less than 20,000 prisoners will be selected by the Ministry of Imipas and other ministries. "We have discussed this. From 44,500, it's down to 19,337," he said when met by the media at the MPR/DPR/DPD building, Central Jakarta, Thursday, February 13, 2025.
Separately, Minister of Human Rights (HAM) Natalius Pigai stated that the number of prisoners to be granted amnesty by Prabowo is still uncertain at present. He mentioned that 44,000 people could still change as the ongoing assessments continue.
"This amnesty will be given to the analyzed ones, around 44,000. So, it's around, roughly. It can increase or decrease. So we cannot lock it at 44,000 and assessments are currently being conducted at the Ministry of Law," said Pigai during a working meeting with Commission XIII at the parliament building, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
The Ministry of Law is still assessing the eligibility of prisoners for amnesty. According to Pigai, the ministry is considering cases of prisoners and their scheduled release dates. For example, the government considers granting amnesty to a prisoner because they are considered eligible based on one of their cases.
However, after further investigation, it turns out that the prisoner is involved in another ongoing case. Or for example, a prisoner is considered as an amnesty candidate, but they are scheduled for parole in the near future.
– Alfitria Nefi P and Hendrik Yaputra contributed to the writing of this article.