Andrie Yunus Doused with Mixture of Rust Remover and Car Battery Fluid

The judges of the Military Court II-08 in Jakarta have requested the attendance of a chemical expert in the trial concerning the acid dousing of KontraS activist Andrie Yunus, with the four defendants being soldiers from the Intelligence Detachment of the TNI’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (Denma BAIS). The judges consider testimony from a chemical expert essential to substantiate the defendants’ statements about the liquid used on Andrie. During the hearing, it was revealed that the defendants admitted to dousing Andrie with a mixture of rust remover and car battery fluid. The defendants are Defendant I Sergeant Two Edi Sudarko, Defendant II First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, Defendant III Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo, and Defendant IV First Lieutenant Sami Lakka. Initially, the judge questioned witness Pabandya D 31 Pampers Dit B BAIS TNI, Lieutenant Colonel Chk Alwi Hakim Nasution, about the examination of the defendants. Alwi explained that the defendants initially denied their actions. However, after further investigation, including observing the scorched condition of their faces and bodies, the defendants admitted. “After that, they admitted that the act was indeed carried out, the dousing was done by Defendant I, Defendant II who was riding pillion, Defendants III and IV accompanying from behind,” Alwi stated. “Did they say what they doused him with?” the judge asked. “They said they doused brother Andrie Yunus,” Alwi replied. The judge delved deeper into the defendants’ admission regarding the liquid used on Andrie. Alwi said the defendants admitted to using a mixture of rust remover and car battery fluid. “What did they douse him with?” the judge asked. “Cleaning liquid, according to their admission, rust remover,” Alwi answered. “Mixed with?” the judge continued. “Car battery fluid,” Alwi replied. The judge stated that the contents of the liquid need to be explained in court. The judge ordered the military prosecutor or legal counsel to bring in a chemical expert to explain the contents of the liquid in the trial. “Whose responsibility is that, the prosecutor or the legal counsel to bring them in. I request that they be brought in later for these liquids. The battery one and what was it, rust remover. Now, if mixed, what does it contain, and then what is the reaction if it touches the skin, if it touches clothes,” the judge said. “An expert, then. We need an expert in the field. A chemical expert, yes. Chemistry or acid expert. Yes, a chemical expert,” the judge continued. “Yes, Your Honour,” the prosecutor replied. “Have you thought of that?” the judge asked. “Yes, we have,” the prosecutor replied. In the case of the acid dousing of KontraS External Coordinator Deputy Andrie Yunus, four TNI soldiers have been charged as defendants. They are Sergeant Two Edi Sudarko, First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo, and First Lieutenant Sami Lakka. The motive, according to the prosecutor, was that the defendants felt annoyed with Andrie for successfully interrupting a parliamentary meeting discussing revisions to the TNI Law held at the Fairmont Hotel in South Jakarta in March 2025. “Due to that incident, the defendants considered brother Andrie Yunus to have insulted the TNI institution, even trampling on the TNI institution,” the prosecutor stated when reading the indictment in a previous hearing. The defendants are charged with violating Article 469 paragraph 1 subsidiary Article 468 paragraph 1 further subsidiary Article 467 paragraph 1 in conjunction with paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 20 letter C of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.