Government frees 91 political prisoners

Government frees 91 political prisoners

JAKARTA (JP): The government released 91 political prisoners,
including 70 East Timorese and six activists of the Democratic
People's Party (PRD), on Friday.

Also freed were 15 people involved in a radical Muslim
movement in Lampung in the 1980s.

Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra told a
news conference that the release followed three decrees signed by
President Abdurrahman Wahid earlier on Friday.

The government said in the decrees that the action was part of
its efforts to uphold human rights and national unity. The event
coincided with the 51st anniversary of the universal declaration
on human rights.

Ninety political prisoners were originally listed in the
decrees, but PRD activist Petrus Hariyanto was added at the last
minute.

Yusril, who later witnessed the release of some of the
prisoners from Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta, said
Petrus' omission from the original list was due to a "technical
error". The minister said that the decree on Petrus' release
would be handed to him on Saturday morning.

The other five PRD activists were the party leader Budiman
Sudjatmiko, Suroso, Ignatius Damianus Pranowo, Yacobus Eko
Kurniawan and Bartholomeus Garda Sembiring.

They were accused by the government of then president Soeharto
of masterminding riots in July 1996 in which at least five people
died.

The riots erupted after the forcible takeover of the
headquarters of Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic
Party on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

Budiman received a 13-year jail term in 1997 while Suroso was
sentenced to seven years, Yacobus eight years, Damianus nine
years, Sembiring 12 years and Petrus six years.

PRD was outlawed under the Soeharto regime, but the ban was
lifted following the fall of the ruler in May 1998.

Budiman refused an offer of amnesty from Soeharto's successor
B.J. Habibie earlier this year, saying he wanted a full pardon
absolving him of any wrongdoing.

A total of 18 of the East Timorese prisoners released on
Friday were held at the Cipinang prison, where the PRD members
also served their jail terms.

The other East Timorese were in prisons in the East Timor
towns of Dili, Baucau, Maliana, Ermera, and Atambua in
neighboring East Nusa Tenggara.

Yusril said the prisoners incarcerated in East Timor might
have been freed already because the decree on their release was
issued after the territory seceded from Indonesia.

Copies of the decrees showed that of the East Timorese
prisoners who were released, 64 acquired a presidential amnesty,
while charges against the six others were dropped.

The release leaves only a handful of political prisoners in
the country's jails following a series of releases since the fall
of Soeharto.

Yusril said earlier Friday that the government would reduce
prisoners' jail terms during religious holidays, in addition to
the usual practice on Independence Day.

The new ruling is expected to come into effect during the
fasting month of Ramadhan, which started on Thursday, Yusril
said.

"Under this ruling, aside from on Independence Day, the
prisoners will be granted sentence reductions on the holidays of
their respective religions," he said during a visit to Cipinang
prison along with State Minister of Human Rights Affairs
Hasballah M. Saad on Friday morning.

"For example, Muslim prisoners will have their sentences
reduced on Idul Fitri while Christians and Catholics will be on
Christmas. Those with other religions are entitled to receive
sentence reductions during their respective religious holidays,"
he said.

The government has traditionally reduced inmates' sentences to
mark Independence Day on Aug. 17.

Yusril and Hasballah also visited Tangerang Women's Prison in
West Java to mark international human rights day. (byg/ind)