Acid attack on activist was premeditated, says Indonesian military prosecutor at trial
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Advocacy for Democracy Team members hold posters in solidarity with activist Andrie Yunus, who suffered burns to his face and arms from an acid attack.
PHOTO: REUTERS
JAKARTA – Indonesian Military (TNI) prosecutors have indicted four officers for allegedly conducting a premeditated acid attack against human rights activist Andrie Yunus in the Jakarta Military Court amid continued calls to try the case in a civilian court.
On April 29, prosecutors formally read out charges against the defendants in the first hearing of the acid attack, namely Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya, First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, First Lieutenant Sami Lakka and Second Sergeant Edi Sudarko.
All defendants, previously only identified by their initials, have been assigned to the TNI’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) since November 2025. They have been detained by the Military Police Headquarters (Puspom TNI) since March 18.
In their indictment, prosecutors suspected the defendants carried out their premeditated attack against Mr Andrie following his action of interrupting close-door deliberations by House of Representatives lawmakers on a revision to the TNI Law in March 2025 at Fairmont Hotel in Central Jakarta.
At that time, Mr Andrie, a member of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) who is vocal about opposing the rising militarism in the country, said the deliberations lack transparency and the bill would expand the military’s role in civilian affairs. The revision was passed into law in March 2025.
Defendants Edi Sudarko (second from left), Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, Nandala Dwi Prasetya, and Sami Lakka attend a trial at a military court in Jakarta on April 29.
PHOTO: AFP
“Based on this incident, the defendants considered that Andrie had insulted and even trampled on the dignity of the military institution,” military prosecutor Muhammad Iswadi said, reading out the indictment.
In March, a year after the interruption at Fairmont, the defendants allegedly brought up Mr Andrie during their off-duty talks.
They later started planning their assault against the activist, including researching Mr Andrie’s usual whereabouts through Google and mixing used battery water and rust cleaning spray obtained from BAIS’ repair shop to produce acid to be hurled at their target.
Throughout March 12, the defendants allegedly started searching for Andrie in several locations, but to no avail. They eventually spotted him exiting the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office in Central Jakarta and hurled acid when Mr Andrie was on his way home after recording a podcast episode about re-militarisation and a judicial review.
According to the indictment, Edi and Budhi were injured by the acid thrown during the attack. When they were requesting sick leave because of their injuries, BAIS officers questioned them further, leading to the defendants being reported to the Military Police Headquarters (Puspom TNI).
The defendants were charged against multiple criminal offences under the Criminal Code (KUHP), primarily Article 469 on premeditated serious assault which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison, said military prosecutor Hanggono.
Subsidiary charges include Article 468 on causing serious injury with up to eight years behind bars as well as Article 467 on premeditated assault that carries punishment of up to seven years in prison.
The trial in the military court came despite calls from civil groups to have the case tried in an open civilian court to ensure accountability.
Bringing the case to the public court would also fully uncover the alleged full chain of command from military higher-ups in the attack, said civil group coalition the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), which oversees Mr Andrie’s case.
The coalition previously launched an independent probe into the acid attack and found at least 16 alleged perpetrators involved in the attack, suggesting the assault was a systemic operation.
Civil groups have been questioning Puspom TNI’s move of only naming four suspects in the case.
Mr Andrie, who remains under intensive care for burns at around 20 per cent of his body since the incident, has shared his distrust that the military court could completely solve the incident.
“I object and submit a ‘motion of no confidence’ if the legal process in this case is carried out through a military court, which has long been a hotbed of impunity for military personnel who commit human rights violations,” Mr Andrie wrote in a letter read by Kontras coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya during a separate hearing at the Constitutional Court on April 28, as quoted by Kompas.id.
Puspom TNI investigators said they had summoned Mr Andrie twice to question him for the case. However, the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), which has been assisting the activist, said he was not yet in a condition to testify because of his extensive injuries.
Separately, TAUD filed a pretrial motion at the South Jakarta District Court on the morning of April 29 against the Jakarta Police’s stalled investigation into the acid attack. The police said in late March it had transferred all case files to Puspom TNI.
Jakarta Military Court judge Endah Wulandari said the pretrial would not affect the ongoing military trial, as the two processes involve different legal subjects.
The judges adjourned the trial to May 6, when the prosecutors are expected to produce witnesses. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
