Bechi's 19-Month Remission: The Parole of a Jombang Kiai's Son and Questions of Justice for the Victim
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- Moch Subchi Azal Tsani alias Bechi menghirup udara bebas setelah menerima remisi total 16 bulan 105 hari, memenuhi syarat pembebasan bersyarat.
- Lapas Kelas I Malang menegaskan prosedur sesuai regulasi, namun publik mempertanyakan proporsionalitas vonis dan hak narapidana kekerasan seksual.
- Bechi wajib lapor ke Bapas Malang hingga Desember 2028, sementara desakan evaluasi sistem remisi bagi pelaku kejahatan seksual menguat.
Moch Subchi Azal Tsani, known as Bechi, has completed his prison term at Malang Class I Penitentiary and walked free earlier than expected. The son of a kiai from Jombang received a cumulative remission of 16 months and 105 days, equivalent to more than 19 months, which was key to securing his parole. The head of Malang Class I Penitentiary, Christo Victor Nixon Toar, said the accumulated sentence reduction was calculated from the final and binding verdict on 26 July 2023.
"The total remission is 16 months, 105 days, since the 26 July 2023 verdict," Christo said on Thursday (24/9), denying any special treatment for the convict in the sexual violence case. He detailed that the last general remission was granted on 17 August 2025, amounting to 4 months, in accordance with applicable rules. According to penitentiary documents, Bechi had served two-thirds of his sentence on 23 July 2025, which became the basis for the parole application.
The proposal was approved by the Minister of Immigration and Corrections through decree number PAS-1429.PK.05.03 of 2025 dated 15 August 2025. The letter was received by Malang Penitentiary four days later, and on 20 August 2025 Bechi officially left prison. His status changed from inmate to correctional client under the supervision of the Malang Class I Correctional Center (Bapas) until 1 December 2028.
The head of Malang Class I Bapas, Fathorrosi, stated that Bechi had complied with the monthly reporting obligation since August 2025 without ever missing a session. "Since August, he has never been absent. So he has been proactive with our supervision," he said on Tuesday (22/9). He added that his client was cooperative and followed all the prescribed rehabilitation programs.
"The client Subchi is required to report to Malang Bapas until 1 December 2028. The requirements for parole are good behavior, following the rehabilitation program well, and having served 2/3 of the sentence." — Christo Victor Nixon Toar, Head of Malang Class I Penitentiary
The case began with a report by a female student to the Jombang Police in 2017 over alleged sexual abuse. The handling was later taken over by the East Java Police, but the legal process stalled because Bechi frequently skipped summons for questioning starting in December 2019. The climax came in July 2022, when police officers besieged the Shiddiqiyyah Islamic Boarding School in Ploso for hours before Bechi surrendered.
On 17 November 2022, the panel of judges at the Surabaya District Court handed down a 7-year prison sentence after finding Bechi guilty of violating Article 289 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 65 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. The verdict was less than half of the prosecutor's demand of 16 years under Article 285 of the Criminal Code on rape. Bechi's appeal was rejected; the Surabaya High Court upheld the first-instance ruling in February 2023.
Bechi's parole has reignited debate about justice for victims of sexual violence. Several civil society organizations argue that remission for perpetrators of sexual crimes risks ignoring the victim's trauma and the deterrent effect. On the other hand, the penitentiary argues that granting remission is the right of inmates who meet administrative requirements and show good behavior, not a form of privilege.
A criminal law expert from the University of Indonesia, who declined to be named, assessed that the remission system in Indonesia does prioritize rehabilitation, but there need to be exceptions for extraordinary crimes such as sexual violence against children. "Remission should consider the psychological impact on the victim and the aspect of restorative justice," he said. He urged a revision of the Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation so that perpetrators of sexual crimes cannot easily obtain sentence reductions.
The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections has not yet given an official response regarding the push for evaluation. Meanwhile, Bechi is now serving his parole with a monthly reporting obligation. The public will continue to scrutinize whether Bapas supervision is effective and whether the victim's rights are still fulfilled. The big question: will this case become a momentum for improving remission policy, or just a dark note that is forgotten?
