Doubting Revenge Motive Behind Acid Attack, KontraS: The Method Was Systematic

The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) doubts the personal revenge motive in the acid attack case against Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus. KontraS Law Division staff member Muhammad Yahya Ihyaroza assesses that the action strongly suggests it was carried out in an organised and systematic manner. “From our investigation, there were more than four perpetrators and they were highly organised. This raises the question, if it was truly motivated by personal revenge, why would it be done in such a systematic way,” Yahya stated when met at the Constitutional Court on Thursday (16/4/2026). KontraS instead suspects the presence of a chain of command in the incident. Yahya also highlighted the lack of openness in the case handling by authorities, particularly by the Military Police (Puspom). He assesses that information regarding the perpetrators has never been fully conveyed to the public, including their identities or exact number. “From the start, we stated there were four perpetrators, but that was never disclosed to the public. Even the initials provided contradict our investigation findings,” he said. This is especially concerning if the case is handled through military court mechanisms, which are deemed to be more closed. He emphasises that if the case is processed in military court, it will be difficult to uncover the extent of involvement of other parties beyond the field perpetrators. “From our experience, many cases in military courts only stop at the field actors, without investigating the main actors or those giving orders,” he stated. On that basis, KontraS urges law enforcement authorities, both Puspom and the police, to open up the case handling transparently and comprehensively to uncover all involved parties.