Four foreign inmates freed as Bali grants Independence Day remissions

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Badung, Bali (ANTARA) – A total of 64 foreign nationals serving sentences in Bali received sentence remissions in commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of Indonesian Independence, with four of them released immediately.

The remissions were among sentence reductions granted to 3,026 inmates across Bali and were symbolically presented by Bali Governor Wayan Koster at Kerobokan Prison in Badung District, Bali, on Monday.

“The remission is expected to encourage them to become more disciplined and orderly as they prepare to return to society,” Koster said.

The sentence reductions ranged from one to six months.

Of the 3,026 recipients, 2,922 inmates received General Remission I, while 101 inmates received General Remission II, which resulted in their immediate release. In addition, three juvenile inmates received sentence reductions.

Of the 101 inmates who were released immediately, four were foreign nationals.

Data from the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Corrections showed that 4,938 inmates were housed in 11 correctional technical implementation units (UPTs) across Bali as of August 17, 2026. The figure comprised 1,240 detainees and 3,698 convicts.

The 11 UPTs comprise six prisons, four state detention centers, and one Juvenile Special Rehabilitation Institution (LPKA).

Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Corrections Andi Wijaya Rivai explained that the remissions were granted based on assessments of inmates.

The assessment included, among other factors, inmates’ behavior while serving their sentences, participation in correctional programs, and records of violations.

Kerobokan Prison is one of the prisons in Bali with the largest inmate population, including foreign nationals.

The prison houses 100 foreign inmates from 29 countries serving sentences for various offenses, including narcotics and murder. Of these, 34 foreign inmates from 19 countries received sentence remissions.

One foreign inmate who was excluded from the remission was Australian national Lamar Aaron Ahchee, who is serving a sentence for a narcotics offense.

Ahchee, who was sentenced to nine years in prison, was denied remission after he was found to have possessed a cell phone allegedly given to him by his girlfriend during a visit on August 11, 2026. The violation was recorded in Register F, making him ineligible for a sentence remission.

“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,” Rivai emphasized.