Civil Society Coalition Urges Trial of Acid Attack Perpetrators and Masterminds in General Court
A Civil Society Coalition is demanding a thorough investigation into the acid attack case against KontraS activist Andrie Yunus, including the trial of the perpetrators up to the intellectual actors through the general court.
In an official statement released on Wednesday (18/3), the Coalition strongly condemned the action allegedly carried out by four TNI members and described it as a serious form of violence against democracy.
“This violent and brutal action damages democracy, overrides the Constitution, and attacks human rights,” stated the coalition.
The Coalition said the reason for demanding a general court in this case is to ensure transparency and accountability in uncovering the case.
“The Civil Society Coalition demands that the four suspects be prosecuted criminally through the general justice system, to guarantee its transparency and accountability,” said the Coalition.
According to the Coalition, using the military court route has the potential to close off the full disclosure of facts, including allegations of involvement by parties with higher chains of command.
The Coalition assesses that resolution through the military court risks stopping the case at the field perpetrators and leaving human rights violations unresolved.
In addition, the Coalition requests that the investigation be conducted thoroughly up to the leadership level, including demanding command responsibility from the relevant parties.
The Coalition also urges the National Human Rights Commission to immediately conduct an investigation to assess the possibility of gross human rights violations, given indications of structured and systematic actions.
“The National Human Rights Commission must immediately carry out an investigation and examination to assess the possibility of alleged gross human rights violations,” said the Coalition.
Furthermore, the Coalition requests the formation of an independent fact-finding team to ensure the truth of information from law enforcement authorities.
The Coalition also views this incident, along with previous series of violence, as a reason for civil authorities to evaluate TNI leadership, including the positions of the BAIS Chief and the TNI Commander.
At the end of its statement, the Coalition emphasised that this case is a serious threat to human rights defenders and the future of democracy in Indonesia.
“The acid attack case that befell Andrie Yunus is a serious threat to human rights defenders, as well as the future of human rights and democracy in Indonesia.”
Previously, the TNI stated that it had secured four of its members suspected of being the perpetrators of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus. They are NDP, SL, BHW, and ES.
NDP holds the rank of captain. Meanwhile, SL and BHW hold the rank of first lieutenant, and ES holds the rank of second sergeant. They are from the Detachment Headquarters of the Strategic Intelligence Agency (Denma BAIS) TNI, originating from the Navy and Air Force.