Jakarta, ThedailyID — Indonesian Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said Indonesia’s legal system still allows courts to impose the death penalty on people convicted of corruption. However, prosecutors must first seek the maximum punishment.
His remarks came after a religious leader from Pondok Pesantren Tebuireng in East Java called for corrupt officials to receive the death penalty. The statement later went viral on social media.
Supratman said Indonesia has never removed capital punishment from its legal system.
“The death penalty has always remained part of Indonesia’s legal framework,” he said on Tuesday during a visit to the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law in Surabaya.
He explained that both the Anti-Corruption Law and Indonesia’s new Criminal Code (KUHP) provide a legal basis for capital punishment. The new Criminal Code also requires a probation period of around 10 years before authorities review a death sentence.
According to Supratman, investigators and prosecutors may request the death penalty when they believe a case deserves the maximum punishment.
“If investigators and prosecutors, especially public prosecutors, demand the maximum sentence of death, that is legally allowed,” he said.
He added that judges also have the authority to impose capital punishment in corruption cases.
“So this is not a legal debate. The issue is how authorities implement the law,” Supratman said.
The discussion followed comments by KH Mustain Syafi’i, a Quranic scholar and teacher at Madrasatul Quran Islamic Boarding School under the Tebuireng Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java.
In a video shared widely online, Mustain argued that prison sentences have failed to deter corruption. He proposed harsher punishments, including amputation and the death penalty, based on the amount of money stolen.
He also urged Islamic scholars to consider the principle of maslahah mursalah. The concept emphasizes public welfare when interpreting Islamic law.
His remarks reignited public debate over tougher punishments for corruption. However, the government has not announced any changes to the current legal framework.
