Indonesia Highlights: Government Issues Christmas Remissions to Nearly 12 Thousand Prisoners | Densus 88 Counterterrorist Police Nabs Hajj Travel Bureau as Terrorism Suspects | Indonesia Unfazed By US Govt's $2 Billion Offer to Normalize Relations Wi

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia might not be feeling too merry during Christmas and New Year’s, as the government restricted travel and mass gatherings to celebrate the holidays.

But 12 thousand prisoners are still feeling the Christmas spirit, after the government granted remissions for their prison sentences because of the holidays.

In contrast, a Hajj travel bureau owner in Mojokerto, East Java is not in a holiday mood, after the Detachment 88 [Densus 88] counterterrorist police arrested him for his alleged involvement in terrorism.

And last but not least, Indonesia continues to defy US President Donal Trump’s offers of $2 billion in aid and investment in exchange for establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. Read on about these articles and more, as curated by our editors:

KOMPAS.COM/HANDOUT Example of a jailed prisoner

1. Government Issues Christmas Remissions to Nearly 12 Thousand Prisoners

The Ministry of Law and Human Rights has granted remissions to 11,669 Christian and Catholic prison inmates.

“The remissions are a form of the state’s appreciation for those prison inmates who genuinely tried to [reform], and whose behavior showed their intent to change,” said the Ministry’s Director General on Prisons Reynhard Silitonga in a press release on Thursday, December 24.

“11,474 prisoners earned reduced sentences, while 195 were immediately set free. Of these, 2,306 inmates had their sentences reduced by 15 days, while 7,254 saw their sentences reduced by a month.”

Reynhard added that 1,497 prisoners got sentence reductions of a month and a half, while 417 others saw their sentences cut down by two months.

Most inmates came from North Sumatra with 2,152, followed by East Nusa Tenggara [1,730] and North Sulawesi with 929. To date, there are 22,246 Christian prison inmates in Indonesia’s prison

Source:

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/24/19574251/11669-napi-kristen-dan-katolik-dapat-remisi-natal-195-langsung-bebas. 

PERSDA NETWORK/BINA HARNANS A symbol of the Indonesian National Polices Detachment 88 [Densus 88] counterterrorist unit

2. Densus 88 Counterterrorist Police Nabs Hajj Travel Bureau Owner as Terrorism Suspect

Detachment 88 counterrorism police are reported to arrest the owner of a hajj pilgrimage travel bureau in East Java’s Mojokerto regency.

“[The police] carried out the operation at the house of one Hanif Ali Bahost alias Abu Dayyan bin Ali Muhammad. His wife and three children happened to be at the home during the raid,” said East Java Regional Police spokesman Police Chief Commissioner Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko.