Andrie Yunus Case: Responses from Prabowo to Calls for TGPF

The case of the alleged planned murder attempt on Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), has yet to see any breakthrough. Kontras and a coalition of civil society organisations have highlighted discrepancies in information provided by the police and the Military Police Centre in handling the case. They fear that this confusion indicates legal uncertainty, particularly in uncovering the perpetrators up to the level of intellectual actors.

President Prabowo Subianto has stated that he has instructed his apparatus to thoroughly investigate the attack on Andrie, including uncovering the figures behind the intellectual actors in the case. The Head of State made this statement during a question-and-answer session with several journalists and experts invited to Prabowo’s residence in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, on Wednesday night, 18 March, to Thursday early morning, 19 March 2026. Prabowo said that law enforcement must not only target field executors but also those behind the pouring of corrosive chemical liquid on the human rights activist. “Who ordered it, who paid (must be revealed),” Prabowo said in a statement released by the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday, 19 March 2026.

DPR Commission I member Oleh Soleh has urged the TNI Military Police Centre to act transparently in handling the case of the alleged planned murder attempt on Andrie Yunus, which is suspected to involve four soldiers from the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS). He reminded that violence against human rights activists is a serious violation of law and democratic principles. Therefore, Oleh urged that the perpetrators be given the heaviest possible punishment in accordance with applicable legal provisions. “We ask the TNI to thoroughly investigate this case in a transparent and accountable manner. There must be no cover-ups; anyone involved must be dealt with firmly without favour,” said the PKB politician in a written statement on Thursday, 19 March 2026.

The same sentiment was expressed by former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, alias Mahfud MD. He said that the TNI must act professionally in investigating the four soldiers suspected of being involved in this case. He compared the handling of Andrie’s case with that handled by the police. “I know the National Police are very professional. Now it’s the TNI’s turn to also be professional and transparent in bringing it to court,” Mahfud said, quoted from his personal X account on Thursday.

In addition to Kontras and the civil society coalition, the DPR Commission III meeting on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, pushed for synergy between the TNI and Police in handling Andrie’s case, including bringing the case handling to general courts. DPR Commission III member Safaruddin said that the general court mechanism can be pursued in this case because there are indications that the perpetrators come from both military and civilian backgrounds. “(The DPR) will push for general courts,” Safaruddin said on Wednesday.

Head of the Impunity Monitoring Division of Kontras, Jane Rosalina, said that the demand for Andrie’s case to be processed in general courts is in accordance with Article 3 Paragraph (4) of MPR Decree Number VIII of 2000 and Article 65 Paragraph (2) of Law Number 34 of 2004 on the TNI. She explained that Article 65 Paragraph (2) of the TNI Law explicitly states that soldiers are subject to military court jurisdiction for military law violations. Furthermore, soldiers are also subject to general court jurisdiction for general criminal law violations as regulated by law. “This case should properly be resolved in general courts, not military ones,” Jane told Tempo on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.

The TNI Military Police Centre stated that the handling of Andrie’s case will be through military court procedures. TNI Military Police Centre Commander Major General Yusri Nuryanto said that this step is in accordance with the provisions in the new TNI Law. Yusri claimed that the handling of the case involving soldiers from his institution will be carried out professionally, transparently, and accountably. “So far, military trials have always been open; there is no such thing as closed trials,” he said during a press conference at TNI Headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon, 18 March 2026.

The Metro Jaya Regional Police explained the differences in information provided by their institution and the TNI Military Police Centre. Head of Public Relations of Metro Jaya Regional Police, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, said that the suspected perpetrator with initials BHC mentioned by the police is the same person as BHW mentioned by the TNI. “The initials BHC are the same as BHW, and then from PMJ there is MAK,” Budi said when contacted on Thursday, 19 March 2026. Budi emphasised that the police are using scientific crime investigation methods in investigating this case. He stated that the police findings can be accounted for. “If there are differences from the TNI, please ask them about each other’s roles. Those from PMJ can be accounted for,” Budi said.

Meanwhile, in a press conference on Wednesday, Metro Jaya Regional Police released the initials of two attack perpetrators. However, the TNI Military Police Centre stated that they have arrested four BAIS soldiers suspected of being involved in this case. The two initials of suspected perpetrators released by Metro Jaya Regional Police are BHC and MAK. The police also mentioned the possibility of more than four perpetrators. Meanwhile, the TNI Military Police Centre stated that the initials of the four soldiers are NDP, SL, BWH, and ES.

The confusion in information between the police and the TNI is feared to impact the case handling. Kontras has urged verification by independent institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission and the formation of a Joint Fact-Finding Team or TGPF. The aim is for the investigation or inquiry process to produce objective and comprehensive facts, including targeting not only field actors but also intellectual actors. “We also urge the police to quickly”