Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto is expected to pardon 44,000 inmates convicted of non-violent crimes with drug offenders making up a vast majority of them, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Justice Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said the list of inmates eligible for the pardon will be finalized next week.

"Once the list is completed, I will submit it to the president,” Supratman told reporters at his office in Jakarta.

Inmates with serious convictions such as armed rebellion and terrorism are excluded from the list, he said. It means convicted members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) won’t receive a pardon.

However, convicted OPM members who didn’t commit violent attacks may still be considered for the pardon, depending on instructions from the president, Supratman said.

"The final decision rests with President Prabowo -- if we want revisions on the list, we will do so," he said.

The pardon will prioritize first-time offenders and inmates’ behaviors while serving their prison time, he said.

Last month, Human Rights Affairs Minister Natalius Pigai said the planned release of non-violent offenders is based on compassionate grounds while also aimed at alleviating overcrowding in the country’s prisons.

Natalius said the pardons include political prisoners and individuals convicted under the controversial Electronic Information and Transaction Law. President Prabowo also intends to release inmates with mental health disorders, severe illnesses such as HIV, and those struggling with drug addiction to facilitate their participation in rehabilitation programs.

Among those set to benefit are individuals convicted of insulting the head of state, as well as juvenile and elderly prisoners, he added.

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