Head of UGM Legal Centre Demands Full Disclosure of Attack on Andrie Yunus
The head of the Centre for Law and Social Justice (LSJ) at the Faculty of Law, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Herlambang P. Wiratraman, has stated that the attack on Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence, represents an attempt to intimidate human rights defenders. He contended that the government must assume responsibility for providing legal protection by revealing who perpetrated the attack, their motives, and their connections to power.
“This attack clearly aims to instil fear among those who voice criticism towards those in power, or who speak out on human rights matters,” he said in an official statement on Saturday, 14 March 2026.
Wiratraman argued that the state’s failure to resolve the Andrie Yunus case amounts to state complicity in the crime. He noted that such acid attacks are recurring acts of violence, a pattern symptomatic of broader impunity.
“Impunity has become a systemic problem in this country. Perpetrators of crimes and human rights violations can roam freely, even holding positions of public authority,” said the constitutional law lecturer.
He called on all parties, particularly state institutions including the legislature, the President, and the National Human Rights Commission, to closely monitor the investigation and legal proceedings with professionalism and integrity, whilst ensuring there is no undue delay.
Wiratraman also urged President Prabowo Subianto to demonstrate firm resolve against repression of Indonesian citizens. He should reaffirm his political commitment to upholding Article 28I section 4 of the Indonesian Constitution, concerning the protection, enforcement, and advancement of human rights.
Wiratraman expressed concern that this attack forms part of a broader campaign targeting young, courageous and critical activists, aiming not only to instil fear through terror but also to obscure government policy issues, including remilitarisation and systematic corruption linked to various mega projects.
“We hope the public will not hesitate to continue fighting for rights and justice, and to remain critical of the struggle that Andrie and other young people are pursuing to halt remilitarisation and mega corruption,” he said.
Andrie Yunus was doused with caustic liquid whilst on Jalan Salemba I-Talang in central Jakarta on the evening of Thursday, 12 March 2026. Two unknown assailants on a motorcycle sprayed him with the corrosive solution.
The attackers approached from the opposite direction. According to Dimas Bagus Arya, Coordinator of KontraS, the assailants sprayed the acid across the front of Yunus’s body.
After being hit by the acid, Yunus collapsed on the road whilst crying out in pain. Dimas recounted that just before the incident, Yunus had finished recording a podcast titled “Remilitarisation and Judicial Review in Indonesia” at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in central Jakarta at approximately 23:00 that Thursday evening.
The corrosive chemical affected the right side of Yunus’s body, including his eyes, face, chest, and hands. Parts of his clothing melted from the acid.
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correctional Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra has suggested that the attack on Andrie Yunus was organised. Yusril stated that the pattern of the attack indicates signs of systematic planning, meaning legal action must not stop at the level of those who carried out the attack in the field.
“The pattern of the attack appears to be planned and organised, so the investigation of this incident must not stop at the level of the executors, but must also uncover the intellectual authors behind it,” said Yusril in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026.
Consequently, Yusril called on law enforcement authorities, particularly the Indonesian National Police, to thoroughly investigate the case. The investigation should not merely identify the perpetrators and their motives, but also uncover who was behind the attack.