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)