Indonesian military detains 4 soldiers over acid attack on activist
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Members of the Advocacy for Democracy Team holding posters in solidarity with activist Andrie Yunus after a press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 16.
PHOTO: REUTERS
JAKARTA – The Indonesian military on March 18 detained four soldiers suspected of having links to an acid attack that maimed a rights activist critical of the growing role of the armed forces, an official said.
Mr Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, was riding a motorcycle last week when he was approached by two men on a scooter, one of whom threw acid at him, according to the group.
Mr Andrie was injured in the face, his eye, hands and torso.
The military police have detained four soldiers from the armed forces’ intelligence unit who are suspected to have ties to the assault, said commander Yusri Nuryanto.
An internal investigation after the attack had found “some irregularities” that led to the detentions, Mr Yusri said, without giving further details of their alleged crimes.
“We are still investigating the motives of the four alleged perpetrators,” he told a press conference.
The soldiers, identified by their initials NDP, SL, BHW and ES, will be held at a maximum security facility in Jakarta, Mr Yusri said.
Separately, Jakarta police released CCTV recordings on March 18 showing the faces of two people suspected of attacking Mr Andrie.
They had the initials BHC and MAK, said police official Iman Imanuddin. Their links to the four soldiers are unclear.
The police will corroborate their findings with the armed forces, Mr Iman said when asked about the military’s detentions.
On March 16, the police said analysis of CCTV footage showed that four suspects on two scooters had followed Mr Andrie before the attack.
Mr Andrie has been a vocal critic of moves to increase the influence of the military in the Indonesian government and had just finished recording a podcast on the topic when he was attacked.
UN rights chief Volker Turk last week said he was deeply concerned by the “horrific” attack and called for accountability.
Human Rights Watch said Indonesia “has undergone further democratic backsliding, crackdowns on protests, media censorship, and intimidation of activists” under President Prabowo Subianto, a former general who has been in office since 2024. AFP
