Jakarta – Most political prisoners in Papua refused to ask for a pardon from the President as they claimed not guilty for their separatist movement.

Kompas.com reported that there are 34 Papuan political prisoners who were involved in the Free Papua Movement in the 1960s.

Head of Papua office of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, Nazarudin Bunas, said it was difficult for him to recommend the political prisoners get remission should they refuse to ask for a pardon.

Some prisoners such as Yusak Pakage and Cosmos Yual, however, were granted a pardon by the President. Yusak has been released from jail although he is supposed to complete his jail sentence in 2013, while Cosmos is now on parole.