Jakarta – A human rights group has called on the government to unconditionally release jailed Indonesian political party leader Budiman Sujatmiko, dismissing an offer of clemency as unacceptable, press reports said Friday.

"The release of Budiman and his friends should proceed from a political confession that the old [Suharto] government committted the crimes, and not him," The Indonesian Observer quoted the PHBI as saying.

The PHBI, or Indonesian Legal Aid and and Human Rights Association, dubbed the clemency offer "unfair" because it "assumes that Budiman and his friends were guilty of holding a political belief."

On Sunday Indonesian justice minister announced that President B.J. Habibie had agreed to pardon Sujatmiko, now serving a 13- year jail term for subversion in Jakarta's Cipinang prison.

But Sujatmiko, who was charged with subversion in connection with the riots that rocked Jakarta in 1996, rejected the offer out of hand because he would continue to be classified as a criminal.

The leader of the People's Democracy Party (PRD), Sujatmiko was convicted in 1997 of discrediting the Suharto government and masterminding labor and political demonstrations.

The PRD was banned under the Suharto government but last week qualified to contest the June 7 elections. Its two representatives on the newly-formed Election Commission Thursday boycotted an audience with Habibie in protest against the pardon offer.