KontraS Reveals Chronology of Acid Attack Against Human Rights Activist

Andrie Yunus, an activist and Vice Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), became the victim of an acid attack by two unidentified perpetrators in the Salemba area, Central Jakarta, on Thursday evening, 12 March.

The incident occurred whilst the victim was riding a motorcycle and was suddenly approached by the perpetrators who came from the opposite direction before spraying hazardous liquid towards the victim’s body.

Dimas Bagus Arya, Coordinator of KontraS, explained that based on initial information gathered by the organisation, the incident began around 23:37 Central Indonesia Time when Andrie Yunus was passing through Salemba I Street towards Talang, Central Jakarta.

“At around 23:37, Andrie Yunus was riding his two-wheeled vehicle on Salemba I-Talang Street, Central Jakarta. Two perpetrators then approached from the opposite direction on Talang Street or Talang Bridge using a single motorcycle,” Dimas stated on Friday, 13 March.

According to him, the perpetrators allegedly used a Honda Beat automatic motorcycle from 2016-2021. The two perpetrators were men who arrived as motorcycle passengers, with one as the driver and the other as the passenger who is suspected of executing the acid spray.

“The first perpetrator, who was the driver, wore a white-and-blue combination t-shirt, dark trousers allegedly denim, and a black helmet. Meanwhile, the second perpetrator sitting at the back wore a black buff-like face covering that concealed half the face, a dark blue t-shirt, and blue long trousers rolled up to be short,” Dimas said.

When near the victim, one of the perpetrators then sprayed liquid suspected to be caustic acid towards Andrie Yunus, hitting parts of his body.

“After being sprayed, the victim immediately screamed in pain and dropped his motorcycle,” Dimas said.

The victim was immediately taken to the nearest hospital in Jakarta for emergency medical treatment, particularly on the eyes which were hit by the liquid. Based on initial examination, no items belonging to the victim were lost or stolen in the incident.

KontraS believes the attack is strongly suspected to be connected to Andrie Yunus’s activities as a human rights defender. According to Dimas, acid attacks are often used as a form of intimidation to silence critical civil society voices.

“We believe this action is an attempt to silence critical voices in society, particularly human rights defenders,” he said.

He explained that the work of human rights defenders is protected by various regulations, including Law Number 39 of 1999 on Human Rights which guarantees public participation in human rights enforcement, and Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management which protects anyone fighting for the right to a good and healthy environment.

Additionally, protection for human rights defenders is also regulated in the National Commission on Human Rights Regulation Number 5 of 2015 on Procedures for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

Dimas added that before the incident, the victim was known to be conducting advocacy activities. On Thursday afternoon around 15:30, Andrie Yunus left the KontraS office to attend a meeting at the Celios office to discuss follow-up on the investigative report of the Fact-Finding Commission regarding the August 2025 Action. Afterwards, the victim also conducted a podcast recording at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

KontraS also revealed that Andrie Yunus had previously experienced several acts of terror and intimidation, particularly after being involved in the action opposing the draft revision of the Military Law in March 2025.

Regarding this incident, KontraS urged police to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators and the motives behind the attack, which is considered to threaten the safety of human rights defenders.

“Acid attacks can cause serious injuries and even result in death. Therefore, the perpetrators must be punished as severely as possible,” Dimas said.

He added that the action can be charged under the attempted murder provision as regulated in Article 459 of the New Criminal Code which sets severe penalties for premeditated murder.

KontraS emphasised that the state has an obligation to ensure protection for human rights defenders so that advocacy work and public oversight of power can continue without intimidation or violence.