Bali grants Independence Day remissions to 3,026 inmates, four foreign nationals released
On Indonesia's 81st Independence Day, Bali authorities granted sentence reductions to 3,026 inmates across the province, including 64 foreign nationals. Four foreign inmates were among 101 who received immediate release.
Four foreign inmates freed as Bali grants Independence Day remissions
Bali authorities granted sentence remissions to 3,026 inmates on Monday in commemoration of Indonesia's 81st Independence Day, including 64 foreign nationals, with four of them walking free immediately.
Governor Wayan Koster symbolically presented the remissions at Kerobokan Prison in Badung District, where the facility continues to grapple with severe overcrowding. The prison, built in 1979 with capacity for 810 inmates, currently houses 1,848 prisoners—an overcrowding rate of 236 percent.
The tradition of granting prisoner remissions on August 17 dates back decades in Indonesia, coinciding with the date when Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1945. The practice serves dual purposes: motivating good behavior among inmates and addressing the chronic overcrowding that plagues Indonesian correctional facilities.
Scale of remissions across Bali
Of the 3,026 recipients, 2,922 inmates received General Remission I with sentence reductions ranging from one to six months, while 101 inmates received General Remission II, resulting in their immediate release. Three juvenile inmates also received sentence reductions.
The remissions were distributed across Bali's 11 correctional technical implementation units, which collectively housed 4,938 inmates as of August 17, 2026—comprising 1,240 detainees and 3,698 convicts. The figure reflects a broader national crisis, with Indonesia's total inmate population standing at 270,779 as of May 21, 2026, and occupancy rates exceeding 200 percent in several institutions nationwide.
Kerobokan Prison, one of Bali's largest facilities, houses 100 foreign inmates from 29 countries serving sentences for various offenses. Approximately 78 percent of prisoners at the facility have been convicted on drug charges, reflecting the predominance of narcotics-related offenses in Bali's correctional system.
Eligibility criteria and exclusions
Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Corrections Andi Wijaya Rivai explained that remissions were granted based on comprehensive assessments of inmates, including behavior while serving sentences, participation in correctional programs, and records of violations.
Under Indonesian law, inmates must meet several requirements to qualify for remission: serving at least six months of imprisonment, demonstrating good behavior, actively participating in guidance programs, and avoiding disciplinary issues or entries in Register F, the problem inmate register.
Among those denied remission was Australian national Lamar Aaron Ahchee, serving a nine-year sentence for narcotics offenses. Ahchee was found possessing a cell phone allegedly provided by his girlfriend during a visit on August 11, 2026. The violation resulted in a Register F entry, automatically disqualifying him from sentence reduction.
We will certainly take firm action. We are committed to ensuring that anyone who commits a violation is dealt with firmly, with sanctions ranging from light to severe.
The remission program is regulated by Law Number 22 of 2022 concerning Corrections, which provides the legal framework for sentence reductions. Beyond rehabilitation goals, the policy contributes to more efficient use of state budgets by reducing inmate maintenance costs.
Addressing overcrowding
The scale of this year's remissions in Bali is part of a national pattern. In 2023, Indonesia's Ministry of Law and Human Rights granted remissions to 175,500 prisoners nationwide on the 78th Independence Day, with 2,600 receiving immediate release.
To address ongoing overcrowding, Bali is constructing its largest women's correctional facility in Antap Village, Tabanan District, with capacity for 1,200 inmates. The new facility aims to relieve pressure on the Class II-A Kerobokan Women's Prison, which held 275 inmates as of August 17, 2025—more than double its designed capacity of 120.
Governor Koster emphasized the rehabilitative purpose of the remissions, expressing hope that the sentence reductions would encourage inmates to maintain discipline and prepare for reintegration into society upon their release.