Jakarta. Authorities have released the majority of people detained after mass demonstrations in late August, with only a fraction set to face criminal charges, Chief Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Monday.

Of more than 5,000 protesters initially taken into custody, around 4,800 have been freed and returned home, Yusril told reporters after a ministerial meeting in Jakarta.

“We have confirmation about those detained. For now, most of the more than 5,000 protesters, some 4,800 of them, have already been sent back to their homes,” Yusril said.

He added that 583 people remain in custody on suspicion of committing criminal offenses. Law enforcement authorities are still gathering evidence before bringing their cases to court.

“For those detained in Jakarta and elsewhere, legal steps will be taken once sufficient evidence is available. It is only a matter of time before these cases are transferred to the courts,” he said.

Yusril stressed that the government would safeguard the legal rights of all detainees, including providing access to free legal counsel for those without representation.

“While in detention, we are ensuring that their rights are upheld, that they are fed three times a day, and that they are treated humanely. All of their rights are guaranteed, and this legal process will be fair,” he said.

He added that the ministerial meeting also resolved to ensure transparency in handling protest-related cases, not just those that have drawn public attention.

“We don’t want any injustice inflicted on our own citizens,” Yusril said.

The late August demonstrations, which drew tens of thousands of participants, were among the largest since President Prabowo Subianto took office last year. Protesters rallied behind a list of “17+8” demands, including curbing corruption, halting lawmakers’ pay hikes, ending the criminalization of demonstrators, and reducing the military’s role in civilian affairs.

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