Civil Coalition Urges Intellectual Actors in Andrie Yunus Case to Face General Courts

A coalition of civil society groups comprising various human rights organisations such as Kontras, YLBHI, Imparsial, and Amnesty International Indonesia, is demanding a thorough investigation into the intellectual actors behind the acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus.

This demand arises following the designation of four suspects who are active TNI soldiers from the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS). Kontras Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya emphasised that the law must not stop at the field perpetrators.

“The Civil Society Coalition urges that this case be investigated thoroughly up to the intellectual actors and not stop at the field perpetrators,” Dimas stated firmly in his written remarks on Wednesday (18/3).

The coalition calls on BAIS Chief Lieutenant General TNI Yudi Abrimantyo, TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto, and Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin not to wash their hands of the matter. Given that the perpetrators are active members, the top commanders are considered responsible for unveiling the curtain behind this attack.

Dimas stressed that revealing the intellectual actors can only be guaranteed if the legal process is conducted through the general court system, not the military court.

“Bringing this case to the military court is feared to eliminate the severity and systematic nature of this case. The military court often becomes a space to cover up accountability for general criminal acts involving TNI members,” Dimas added.

The coalition views this brutal attack as a serious threat to democracy and human rights defenders in Indonesia. Considering Andrie Yunus’s track record of actively advocating for revisions to the TNI Law since February 2025, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is urged to immediately conduct an investigation to assess allegations of gross human rights violations.

In addition, President Prabowo Subianto is encouraged to form an independent Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) to ensure the truth of this case is revealed without intervention.

“This is important so that similar cases of violence and terror do not occur again, as a manifestation of the guarantee of non-recurrence,” Dimas explained.