Coordinating Minister Yusril Urges Objective Trial in Andrie Acid Attack Case to Uphold Public Trust

The government hopes that the trial process against the defendants proceeds professionally, objectively, and upholds the principles of free and impartial justice. This is in line with the Eight Asta Cita or Eight Programmes of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, one of which is legal reform and law enforcement to guarantee justice and legal certainty,” said Yusril in a written statement to journalists on Friday (8/5/2026). Yusril explained that the government’s hope for a fair and lawful trial should not be interpreted as interference in the court’s authority, including the military court. Yusril stated that the government has a constitutional obligation to uphold the law and public trust in state institutions, as this affects the state’s image in the eyes of society and the international community. “The government in principle upholds the independence of the judiciary. The position of the judicial power is independent and must be free from interference or influence by any party, including the government,” he emphasised. “This concerns the people’s trust in the state. Maintaining that trust is also part of the government’s responsibility,” he continued. Yusril also emphasised the importance of the panel of judges acting professionally and objectively, especially in examining, trying, and deciding the case. “If the defendants are proven guilty in a lawful and convincing manner, the verdict must be imposed fairly in accordance with applicable law. Conversely, if the charges are not proven, the court must also have the courage to acquit the defendants for the sake of justice,” he said. Yusril does not want the trial process to be seen as mere formality. He reminded that the trial process must demonstrate the state’s authority and the integrity of law enforcement, so as not to create negative perceptions in society. “Do not let there be an impression that this trial is just a formality or even a spectacle that damages public trust in the state and law enforcement institutions,” he concluded. As is known, four TNI soldiers are accused of dousing KontraS activist Andrie Yunus with acid. The military prosecutor stated that the defendants carried out the act because they were annoyed with Andrie. In the indictment, the defendants are said to have learned on 16 March 2025 that Andrie entered and interrupted a meeting discussing revisions to the TNI Law held by the DPR at the Fairmont Hotel in South Jakarta. The defendants considered Andrie’s actions to have insulted the TNI institution. “With that incident, the defendants considered that Andrie Yunus had insulted the TNI institution, even trampling on the TNI institution,” said the prosecutor when reading the indictment. The prosecutor said that Defendant I wanted to teach Andrie a lesson as a deterrent effect. Then, Defendant II suggested the idea of dousing with rust cleaner liquid. In short, the defendants sought information about Andrie Yunus’s activities. They divided tasks when carrying out the dousing. The four defendants in this case 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. The four soldiers 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.