213 Hindu inmates get remission

DENPASAR, Bali: A total of 213 inmates of nine prisons across the island received remission in observance of this year's Nyepi (Hindu Day of Silence), which fell on Friday, officials said.

Four of the prisoners, all Hindus, were able to immediately walk free as a result of having their terms cut, the correctional affairs director at the Bali office of the justice and human rights ministry, AAG Mayun Mataram, said on Thursday.

He said the 213 prisoners had their jail terms cut by between 15 days and two months, with 75 of the recipients being from the Denpasar penitentiary.

The government grants remission for Independence Day on Aug. 17, and on the main holy days of the country's principal religions.

Mayun said Bali had nine prisons and detention centers, which currently housed 655 inmates and 348 detainees. --Antara