Komnas HAM: 12 People Seeking Protection Face Threats in Acid Attack Case

The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) states that it is currently conducting an assessment of protection requests reported by the advocacy and legal aid team for the acid attack case against KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. Without disclosing detailed identities for security reasons, Komnas HAM mentions that at least 12 people have requested protection. Komnas HAM Monitoring and Investigation Commissioner Saurlin P Siagian said that they are coordinating with the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), which has taken the initiative on this protection from the start. “That is certainly part of Komnas HAM’s authority. We are assessing 12 people. We have received reports of indications of threats to at least 12 people. We are currently assessing it,” Saurlin said when met at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon (1/4). Saurlin assured that special attention is being given to these protection requests. “I think we will handle that quickly,” he added. He explained that the terror generally received by the complainants and reported to Komnas HAM consists of digital threats. He could not provide details on the forms of these digital threats. “It seems not yet murder threats, but there are threats from social media. We are collecting them. We are profiling all the threats to issue a human rights defence letter if necessary for those 12 people,” he said. On this day, specifically from Wednesday afternoon to evening, Komnas HAM has conducted the process of requesting information from TNI parties regarding the investigation of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus. The TNI representatives present included the Commander of the Central Military Police (Danpuspom) Major General Yusri Nuryanto, Head of Legal Development Agency (Kababinkum) Rear Admiral (Junior) Farid Ma’ruf, Deputy Head of the Legal Information Centre (Wakapuspen) Colonel Arh Osmar Silalahi, and several mid-level officers. Broadly speaking, Komnas HAM is delving into the law enforcement process carried out by the TNI regarding the criminal act of the acid attack on Andrie. This delving is necessary because the Metro Jaya Police had previously handled the case. Next, Komnas HAM has scheduled requests for information from four TNI BAIS members as the field perpetrators of the acid attack on Andrie. Komnas HAM will further coordinate with the TNI Central Military Police regarding the technicalities of the examination. “For the request for information from the four suspects, we still have to follow procedures. Institutionally, we must first submit a written request letter,” said Coordinator of the Human Rights Enforcement Subcommission of Komnas HAM Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi on Wednesday (1/4). Concurrently, Komnas HAM will also seek information from several experts, including criminal, military, and intelligence experts, to assist in constructing conclusions. Andrie Yunus was doused with acid about two weeks ago after giving a seminar at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office titled “Remilitarisation & Judicial Review of the TNI Law”. The police had announced the initials of two suspects, but at the same time, the TNI stated that it had detained four people from TNI BAIS as the field perpetrators of the acid attack on Andrie. They are NDP, SL, BHW, and ES. Meanwhile, the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), consisting of several civil society organisations, stated that the field perpetrators of the acid attack on Andrie involved at least 16 people. TAUD described this as an intelligence operation.