Coalition: Removal of BAIS Head Does Not Bring Justice for Andrie

The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform assesses that the dismissal of the Head of the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS TNI) does not sufficiently provide justice and transparency for the case of the attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. YLBHI Chairman Muhammad Isnur stated that the resignation of BAIS TNI Major General Yudi Abrimantyo does not demonstrate that the TNI has been accountable and transparent. “The accountability of TNI soldiers can only be seen if the resolution of the crime in the Andrie case is carried out through general courts,” Isnur said in a written statement on Thursday, 26 March 2026. Isnur also called the term “revitalisation” used by TNI Information Centre Head Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah for the BAIS head’s resignation misleading. He said revitalisation is contrary to the TNI reform agenda in the TNI Law. Instead of dismissing the BAIS head, the TNI should push for military members involved in general criminal acts to be tried in general courts. The process of punishing every citizen who commits a crime must be treated equally based on the type of crime, not the subject of the perpetrator. According to Isnur, whether the president, ministers, DPR members, police, military, or other civil society members, they must submit to general courts if they commit crimes. “In that context, the disclosure of the Andrie Yunus case must go through general courts, not military courts or connectivity courts,” he said. He reminded that in a rule of law state, no citizen or group may be privileged in their trials compared to other citizens. All must submit to general courts if involved in general criminal acts. MPR Decree No. VI and VII of 2000 as well as TNI Law Article 65 clearly affirm that military members involved in general criminal acts must be tried in general courts. “Moreover, we urge that the agenda for change within the TNI (TNI reform) should be directed towards the reform of strategic intelligence,” he said. Isnur stated that BAIS has often misused its authority, such as alleged involvement in the August riots case last year and the Andrie Yunus case. Yesterday, TNI Headquarters confirmed that BAIS TNI Head General Yudi Abrimantyo has handed over his position. TNI Information Centre Head Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah said the leadership change at BAIS TNI is a consequence of the acid splashing case against human rights activist Andrie Yunus. “As a form of accountability, today the handover of the BAIS head position has been carried out,” said Aulia Dwi Nasrullah at TNI Headquarters, Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. The two-star general did not provide further details on the BAIS TNI change, including who the high-ranking officer replacing Yudi is.