Jakarta. Former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Antasari Azhar has died, his lawyer Boyamin Saiman confirmed on Saturday.

“Yes, I just received confirmation from colleagues at the Attorney General’s Office. It is confirmed he has passed away,” Boyamin told Beritasatu.com on Saturday, Nov. 8..

According to Boyamin, Antasari’s funeral prayer is scheduled to take place after the Asr prayer at Asy Syarif Mosque in BSD, South Tangerang.

“We will perform the funeral prayer after Asr,” he said, adding that the family is asking for prayers and forgiveness for the deceased. “Please pray for him, forgive his mistakes, may he receive rewards in the afterlife.”

Born in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung, on March 18, 1953, Antasari was the fourth of 15 siblings. His father once served as head of the tax office in Bangka Belitung, a career path that influenced Antasari’s interest in law and public service.

Antasari studied at the Faculty of Law at Sriwijaya University in Palembang, majoring in constitutional law, and graduated in 1981. He was actively involved in campus organizations, including student senate leadership, and was known as one of the protesting students in 1978.

He began his career at the National Legal Development Agency before joining the prosecutor’s office, serving in various regional and central roles, from Lampung and West Jakarta to the Attorney General’s Office.

Rise to KPK Leadership and an Abrupt Fall

Antasari’s profile rose nationally when he served as the head of the South Jakarta Prosecutor’s Office. In 2007, he was elected chairman of the KPK, defeating fellow candidate Chandra M. Hamzah during a vote at the House of Representatives’ Commission III.

Under his leadership, the KPK carried out major corruption busts, including the arrest of prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan and businesswoman Artalyta Suryani related to the central bank's bailout (BLBI) case, and the arrest of lawmaker Al Amin Nur Nasution.

However, his term was cut short in 2009 following charges linking him to the murder of businessman Nasrudin Zulkarnaen. In February 2010, the South Jakarta District Court sentenced him to 18 years in prison, a case he consistently denied involvement in.

Antasari served seven years and six months before receiving parole in November 2016. President Joko Widodo granted him clemency in January 2017, wiping out his remaining sentence.