REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) grants a five-year reduction of a 20-year sentence to Australian drugs convict Schapelle Leigh Corby. It also makes her the first foreign citizen convict to be granted the presidential clemency.

With the remission and several other cuts to her sentence, Corby may be freed on August 2012. Corby was sentenced 20 years in prison on 2005 for marijuana smuggling. During the trial, Corby never admitted guilty. Corby sent a request for pardon to reduce her sentence, due to her mental illness. 

Indonesian Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Amir Syamsuddin, said the decision letter had been sent to Denpasar District Court, Bali. Since sentenced in 2005, Amir continued, Corby had received some remissions according to Governmental Regulation 28/2006 on the requirements of remission.

He also said the reduction should encourage Australia to release Indonesian prisoners held in the country. “Especially young Indonesians,” he said. Yet, Australian government has not guaranteed anything related to the compensation of the clemency.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of Commission III in the House of Representatives, Nasir Djamil, concerned about the decision of the clemency considering that the reason was unclear. “It should be communicated first with Australia. Thus we can expect reciprocal action from both sides,” he said.

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