Indonesian president Prabowo pardons political opponents
Published on: Fri, Aug 01, 2025
By: Reuters Text Size: Under Indonesian law, the president has the authority to give amnesty and abolition, but it requires approval from the parliament. (AP pic) JAKARTA: Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto pardoned two political rivals, a former trade minister and a senior politician from an opposition party a few weeks after both were sentenced to jail, officials said. Prabowo granted amnesty to Hasto Kristiyanto, the secretary general of parliament's largest party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said late on Thursday in a news conference broadcast by local media, after meeting the House's deputy speaker. Hasto was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison last week for bribing an election official but the amnesty revokes his sentence though his conviction will still stand. The president also granted an abolition for Thomas Trikasih Lembong, a trade minister under president Joko Widodo who was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison for improperly granting sugar import permits, Supratman said in the news conference. The abolition means, Lembong, who was the campaign manager of Prabowo's rival candidate in last year's presidential election, is acquitted of the charges and his sentence. Prabowo granted the clemencies as the government sees the need to unite all political elements and as part of Indonesia's independence celebrations in August, said Supratman. 'We need to build this nation together, with all the political elements … And both have contributed to the republic,' Supratman said. It is common for the Indonesian president to give pardons ahead of the national independence day on Aug 17. The amnesty for Hasto was among the pardons given to more than 1,100 other people, Supratman added. Lawyers for Hasto and Lembong did not immediately respond for Reuters' request for comments. Under Indonesian law, the president has the authority to give amnesty and abolition but it requires approval from the parliament, said Bivitri Susanti from Indonesia's Jentera School of Law. Still, she said the amnesty given to Hasto was rather 'political' to gain support from the largest opposition party in the parliament while for Lembong, the government is responding to growing protests from the public over his sentence. Other observers were concerned the pardons undercut efforts by the judiciary to deal with corruption in a country where concerns about graft and government misconduct are high. 'It shows that the government could intervene in law enforcement, make it as a political bargain,' said Muhammad Isnur from rights group Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
Rwanda, U.S. sign deal to take in up to 250 migrants
WASHINGTON: The United States and Rwanda have agreed for the African country to accept up to 250 migrants deported from the U.S., the spokesperson for the Rwandan government and an official told Reuters, as President Donald Trump's administration takes a hardline approach toward immigration. The agreement, first reported by Reuters, was signed by U.S. and Rwandan officials in Kigali in June, said the Rwandan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that Washington had already sent an initial list of 10 people to be vetted. 'Rwanda has agreed with the United States to accept up to 250 migrants, in part because nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement, and our societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation,' said the spokesperson for the Rwandan government, Yolande Makolo. 'Under the agreement, Rwanda has the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement. Those approved will be provided with workforce training, healthcare, and accommodation support to jumpstart their lives in Rwanda, giving them the opportunity to contribute to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world over the last decade.' The White House and State Department had no immediate comment. The Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the State Department. President Donald Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally and his administration has sought to ramp up removals to third countries, including sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland. Rwanda has in recent years positioned itself as a destination country for migrants that Western countries would like to remove, despite concerns by rights groups that Kigali does not respect basic human rights. In May, the foreign minister said Rwanda was in the early stages of talks to receive immigrants deported from the United States. The Trump administration argues that third-country deportations help swiftly remove some migrants, including those with criminal convictions. Immigration hardliners see third-country removals as a way to deal with offenders who cannot easily be deported and could pose a threat to the public. Opponents have criticized the deportations as dangerous and cruel, since people could be sent to countries where they could face violence, have no ties and do not speak the language. US TO PROVIDE GRANT TO RWANDA Rwanda will be paid by the United States in the form of a grant, the official said, adding that the grant letter was finalized in July. The official declined to say how much the grant was for. The U.S. and Rwanda could extend the agreement beyond 250 people by mutual consent, the official said, adding that those deported to Rwanda do not have to stay in the country and can leave anytime they choose. Kigali will only accept those whose prison terms are complete or who have no criminal case against them, as there is no agreement with Washington that would allow people to serve out their U.S. sentence in Rwanda, the official said. No child sex offenders will be accepted. The Trump administration has pressed other countries to take migrants. It deported more than 200 Venezuelans accused of being gang members to El Salvador in March, where they were jailed until they were released in a prisoner swap last month. The Supreme Court in June allowed the Trump administration to deport migrants to third countries without giving them a chance to show they could be harmed. But the legality of the removals is being contested in a federal lawsuit in Boston, a case that could potentially wind its way back to the conservative-leaning high court. Western and regional leaders have praised President Paul Kagame for transforming Rwanda from the ruins of the 1994 genocide that killed more than 1 million people into a thriving economy. Rights groups have accused him of abuses and of supporting rebels in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, accusations that he denies. Rwanda has also engaged in peace talks led by the Trump administration to bring an end to fighting in eastern Congo. The two African nations signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington in June, raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year. The agreement to accept migrants deported from the U.S. is not the first such agreement Rwanda has reached. Kigali signed an agreement with Britain in 2022 to take in thousands of asylum seekers, a deal that was scrapped last year by then newly-elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer. No one was sent to Rwanda under the plan because of years of legal challenges. - Reuters
The Star
13 minutes ago
- The Star
Olympics-Indigenous group lodges application for federal protection of Brisbane stadium site
FILE PHOTO: A man walks at the Victoria Park-Barrambin, where the main stadium will be built for the 2032 Olympics, in Brisbane, Australia July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Nick Mulvenney/File Photo SYDNEY (Reuters) -A group representing Brisbane's two Indigenous peoples lodged an application with the Australian federal government on Tuesday for the permanent protection of the site where the city plans to build the main stadium for the 2032 Olympics. The Yagara and Magandjin peoples want the inner city Victoria Park, known to them as Barrambin, to be protected for perpetuity under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act as a "significant Aboriginal area". "Barrambin is living country, possessing sacred, ancient and significant relationships within our cultural heritage systems," elder Gaja Kerry Charlton said in a statement on behalf of the Yagara Magandjin Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC). "It was a complete shock when the Premier came out with his stadium plans ... I thought the park was safe. Now the government wants to destroy it. We are very concerned there are ancient trees, artefacts and very important eco-systems existing there. There may be ancestral remains. "We stand resolute in our responsibility to protect it." No one at the organising committee for the Games, or the Office for the Deputy Premier of Queensland Jarrod Bleijie, who is responsible for Olympic construction, was immediately available for comment. After years of political wrangling, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli announced in March that a 63,000-seat stadium would be constructed and Victoria Park's Centenary Pool rebuilt to provide a 25,000-seat aquatics centre for the Olympics. In June, Crisafulli's government enacted legislation to exempt the Olympic building projects from normal planning rules. The Save Victoria Park campaign, which released a shared statement with YMAC on Tuesday, said June's legislation was "unprecedented" and overrode existing acts of parliament on environmental protection and First Nations rights. "We estimate the majority of the parkland and hundreds of mature trees will now be sacrificed," Save Victoria Park spokesperson Sue Bremner said. "And as we face this profound and irreversible loss of cultural heritage and human rights, Olympic organisers continue to promote 2032 as being the first Games with a Reconciliation Action Plan. It is simply astounding." Organising committee President Andrew Liveris told Reuters last month that anyone who objected to the development would be heard, but that June's legislation was essential to keep the project on track to deliver the venues before 2032. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Saad Sayeed)
Daily Express
13 minutes ago
- Daily Express
Sept 23 mention for Sabah Mineral Licence graft cases
Published on: Tuesday, August 05, 2025 Published on: Tue, Aug 05, 2025 By: Cynthia D Baga Text Size: Andi and Dr Yusof at the court compound on Tuesday. - Cynthia D Baga/Daily Express KOTA KINABALU: The Corruption Special Court set Sept 23 this year for further mention on the cases involving Assemblymen Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy, Datuk Yusof Yacob and a businessman charged with corruption over the mineral exploration licences in Sabah. Sessions Court Judge Jason Juga fixed the date for Andi, 44, who is the Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Assistant Minister, and Sindumin Assemblyman Dr Yusof, 69, bussinessman Datuk Tei Jeinn Cheing, 37, when their cases were brought for mention on Tuesday. Tei was present via Zoom. During the proceedings, the prosecution had served several documents but asked for further pre-trial case management as there are some additional documents to be prepared. Their bail had been extended. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
