Indonesia set to release hundreds of prisoners

Jakarta: Indonesia is set to begin releasing hundreds of convicts from its notoriously overcrowded prisons after parliament approved the first stage of President Prabowo Subianto’s wide-ranging clemency plan.

The first group of 1,116 will begin leaving prisons next week, and include prominent rivals of

previous President Joko Widodo who were jailed during his term, as well as Papuan independence activists.

The announcement was made late Thursday by the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas after a consultation between the government

and party factions in the legislature.

Subianto surprised the nation barely two months after he took office in October when he said he planned to grant clemency to 44,000 inmates nationwide.

Past Indonesian leaders have rarely used their amnesty powers, which require the approval of parliament.