Defence Minister Dismisses Doubts Over Military Court in Andrie Yunus Case

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has dismissed public doubts about the military court handling the acid-attack case against KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. To date, four soldiers from the Indonesian Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) have been named as perpetrators, with a personal vendetta as the motive. KontraS believes the actual number of perpetrators could be higher. In a meeting of the DPR’s Commission I in Jakarta on Tuesday 19 May 2026, Sjamsoeddin stated that the four BAIS soldiers who doused Andrie Yunus could face heavy penalties through a military court. Initially, DPR Commission I member Maj. Gen. (Ret.) TB Hasanuddin of the PDI-P faction mentioned the acid-attack case, which has been widely discussed because the perpetrators are tried in military court. Sjamsoeddin responded, saying that the punishment for the BAIS soldiers could be tougher if tried in a military court. He invited the public to ask how many three-star, two-star, and one-star generals have been imprisoned through military courts. ‘In the TNI, this capability is also accompanied by strict discipline over guard duties. You can ask the TNI how many three-star, two-star, and one-star generals have been imprisoned,’ he said. ‘We do not look at individuals. So when it comes to military justice, that is not necessarily a matter for us to decide.’ ‘There is a senior officer currently serving life for violating military justice. So this should show that military justice is of high value. Moreover now there is a military prosecutor at the Attorney General’s Office, and there is a Military Court at the Supreme Court,’ he added.