Acid Attack: Coalition Calls for Trial of Andrie Case Perpetrators in General Court
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Imparsial activist Ardi Manto Adiputra stated that the acid attack case by four TNI members on human rights defender Andrie Yunus must be prosecuted criminally through the general court. This is crucial to ensure the process is transparent and accountable.
Ardi conveyed this as part of the Coalition for Civil Society Reform. “This violent and brutal act damages democracy, overrides the Constitution, and attacks human rights,” said Ardi in a press release from the Civil Society Coalition.
The Civil Society Coalition, he said, deeply regrets the TNI’s intention to resolve the matter through the military court. “It is common knowledge that the military court has issues with impunity, often serving as a space to cover up accountability for general criminal acts involving TNI members,” he explained.
If handled in the military court, Ardi fears it will diminish the severity and systematic nature of the case. “This could happen if the case implicates higher chain of command perpetrators as intellectual actors,” Ardi revealed.
“If tried in the military court, the case is likely to be closed at the level of field perpetrators only, leaving a trail of unresolved human rights violations,” he stated.
Considering the initial indications of field perpetrators involved, Ardi believes the Head of BAIS, the TNI Commander, and the Minister of Defence should not distance themselves from this incident. As the highest commanders of the field perpetrators, all three are responsible for opening up the case thoroughly until the intellectual perpetrators are uncovered.
The Civil Society Coalition, according to Ardi, urges Komnas HAM to immediately conduct an investigation and examination to assess the possibility of gross human rights violations. This is especially given the victim’s track record as a human rights defender who has been actively involved in advocating for the revision of the TNI Law since February 2025. “Moreover, there are suspicions of involvement from the perpetrators’ institutions, which are allegedly linked to a series of violent incidents, particularly in the riots at the end of August 2025,” he added.
The coalition also demands that the facts presented by the police and TNI be re-verified for accuracy through an independent body, namely Komnas HAM. They urge Komnas HAM to act proactively in uncovering and investigating the existing facts.
“For that purpose, we urge the President to form a joint fact-finding team. At the same time, Komnas HAM should promptly establish a fact-finding team to reveal the truth about this case,” said Ardi.