Military Court Tries Four Service Members Over Acid Attack on Human Rights Activist Andrie Yunus

On 12 March, Andrie Yunus, a 27-year-old KontraS lawyer, was riding his motorcycle in Jakarta when assailants threw a vial of hydrochloric acid at his face. The assault caused chemical burns on about 20 % of his body and damaged roughly 40 % of his right cornea, leaving him partially blind. Six days later, military police arrested four TNI Strategic Intelligence officers—Sgt. Edi Sudarko, First Lt. Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, Capt. Nandala Dwi Prasetya, and Air Force First Lt. Sami Lakka. The court opened the trial on Wednesday, charging them with pre-meditated assault, punishable by up to 12 years.

Associated Press

Indonesia’s forces withdrew from politics after Suharto’s 1998 fall, prompting reforms to strengthen civilian oversight. Yet the 2004 arsenic poisoning of KontraS founder Munir Said Thalib remains a reference point for activists who claim impunity endures. Yunus’s work on sector reform and opposition to expanding the military’s civilian role has attracted intimidation.

Associated Press

Military prosecutor Mohammad Iswandi called the defendants’ conduct “inappropriate actions for members of the TNI.” Judge Fredy Isnartanto said Yunus must appear in court to verify his condition and warned court could compel attendance. President Prabowo Subianto pledged to pursue those responsible and said he is considering an independent fact-finding team.

Associated Press

Amnesty International Indonesia’s executive director Usman Hamid rejected the personal-revenge motive, noting no known link between Yunus and the accused and questioning the use of state facilities for a private vendetta. Civil-society groups have demanded disclosure of who ordered and financed the attack, warning the trial will test the military’s post-reform accountability.

Associated Press

The indictment frames the assault as a personal retaliation, yet investigators have not identified any direct relationship between Yunus and the suspects, nor clarified whether senior officials ordered the attack, leaving command responsibility unclear.

Associated Press

• “The actions of the defendants who threw chemical liquid on Andrie Yunus, resulting in the loss of sight in his right eye and severe burns with no hope of complete recovery, were inappropriate actions for members of the TNI,” — Mohammad Iswandi, Military Prosecutor

Associated Press

• “This case has been narrowed to just four individuals, without transparency, while the motive is framed as personal,” — Usman Hamid, Executive Director, Amnesty International Indonesia

Associated Press

• “It should be noted that as a citizen, Andrie Yunus is obliged to appear in this court, so we can ascertain his actual condition,” — Fredy Isnartanto, Presiding Judge

Associated Press

The trial highlights tension between Indonesia’s civilian oversight and the military’s internal justice system. The next hearing on 6 May will hear witness testimony, potentially clarifying whether senior officials ordered the assault. The president’s contemplated fact-finding team could shape future mechanisms for investigating attacks on human-rights defenders.

Associated Press