Corby, Lawrence get jail sentences cut
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Indonesia traditionally gives remissions every Independence Day. (AFP: Sonny Tumbelaka)
Indonesia will cut the sentences of over 55,000 prisoners on Sunday to mark Independence Day, although inmates convicted for terrorism, corruption, drugs or illegal logging will be excluded, an official said.
But despite being convicted for drugs, the remissions will apply to Australians Schapelle Corby and Renae Lawrence, both facing long jail terms for drug trafficking in Bali, said Untung Sugiono, Director General of State Penitentiaries.
He said this was because the new rules on exclusions for remissions would only apply for court verdicts after October last year.
Indonesia traditionally gives remissions every Independence Day on August 17 and also on some religious holidays.
Similar remissions in the past have caused anger after some inmates convicted of having a role in bomb attacks by Islamic militants received reduced jail terms.
At the start of August, there were 137,054 convicts and detainees behind bars in Indonesia, the official said.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his annual state of the union speech on Friday that his government was strongly committed to fighting corruption, terrorism and drugs.
- Reuters
