Expert: Andrie Yunus Case Must Be Tried in General Court to Uncover Main Actors
Jakarta, VIVA – Criminal law expert from Binus University, Ahmad Sofyan, has emphasised that the acid attack case against KontraS activist Andrie Yunus must be processed through the general court and investigated until the main actors behind it are uncovered. This is for the sake of justice for the victim and the wider public.
According to him, the principle of the rule of law asserts that every citizen holds an equal position before the law without exception.
“No one should be immune from the law. This case must be brought to the general court, not the military court,” stated Ahmad Sofyan during a public discussion held by the Indonesia Youth Congress (IYC) in a hybrid format in Jakarta, quoted on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
He assessed that the acid pouring incident against Andrie Yunus can be categorised as an attempted premeditated murder, so law enforcement authorities are obliged to investigate not only the field perpetrators but also the parties giving the orders.
“The suspicion of premeditated murder against Andrie Yunus is not just my opinion, but has become the opinion of experts and criminal law scholars,” Sofyan stressed.
Ahmad Sofyan also highlighted the importance of military sector reform, including through revisions to the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Law, so that there is no immunity in legal processes. According to him, such reform is an important part of strengthening the supremacy of law and the accountability of state institutions in a democratic system.
On that occasion, social-political analyst from State University of Jakarta, Ubedilah Badrun, spotlighted civil-military relations from the New Order era to post-reformasi. He assessed that there are symptoms of strengthening militarism in civilian spaces in recent years that have the potential to disrupt democracy.
According to Ubedilah, Andrie Yunus and KontraS are an important part of civil society that consistently voices human rights issues and security sector reform. He also mentioned that the attack on Andrie occurred after public advocacy activities, including discussions and podcasts at the YLBHI and LBH Jakarta offices discussing remilitarisation issues.
“Public solidarity is needed to ensure this case is uncovered to its roots,” Ubedilah emphasised.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Muhamad Isnur, via a Zoom meeting connection, urged the National Police to immediately uncover the case comprehensively. According to Isnur, the revelation of the case must align with President Prabowo Subianto’s direction in a recent Mata Najwa interview, which called for the incident to be dismantled until the main actors.