Prabowo's Remarks on Amnesty and Abolition for Corruption Convicts

President Prabowo Subianto said the law must not be used as a political tool. Prabowo stressed that the law must indeed be upheld, but said there must be no errors in the judicial process. The head of state then laid out his reasons for granting amnesty and abolition to corruption convicts. Prabowo had previously granted amnesty to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto and abolition to sugar import corruption convict Thomas Trikasih Lembong, who served as Trade Minister from 2015 to 2016. “I am determined to uphold the law. There is no compromise. We must enforce the law properly. But there must be no miscarriage of justice. The law must not be used as a tool to persecute political opponents,” Prabowo said in his speech at the Indonesia Economic Outlook 2026 in Jakarta on Friday, February 13, 2026. Prabowo stated he had the courage to make the amnesty and abolition decisions because he felt there were grounds for doubt. According to him, courts must render decisions based on conviction and complete evidence, free from doubt. “I have proven that I have the courage to grant abolition, the courage to grant amnesty, when I feel something is not right. Our courts must deliver fair decisions, beyond reasonable doubt,” Prabowo said. The Gerindra Party chairman said he wants to create legal certainty to guarantee stability for the people. In his view, if there is a possibility that a defendant is not guilty, the court must not hand down a final verdict against them. “As the holder of the people’s mandate, I am responsible. I want the rule of law in Indonesia. I want legal certainty,” Prabowo said. The former Defense Minister added that the prerequisite for a nation’s success is that its people must live under a clean and just government. “I am determined, together with my team, to build a clean and just government,” he said. In late July 2025, Prabowo decided to grant abolition to Tom Lembong and amnesty to Hasto Kristiyanto. Tom Lembong had previously been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison in the sugar import corruption case, while Hasto Kristiyanto was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for bribing former General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner for the 2017–2022 term, Wahyu Setiawan.