Military Judges Deplore Andrie Yunus’s Refusal to Testify in Acid Attack Trial
The Panel of Judges at Military Court II-08 Jakarta expressed regret that Andrie Yunus did not provide testimony during the trial concerning the acid attack perpetrated against him.
Member Judge Navy Major (Law) Zainal Abidin stated that the trial proceedings were essentially conducted for the benefit of Andrie, as the victim whose rights were violated by the defendants’ actions. “The Panel of Judges initially hoped that Mr Andrie Yunus would be present to provide testimony in the open court to allow for the extraction of information that would serve as legal facts in a comprehensive trial,” said Judge Zainman while reading the verdict at the Military Court II-08 Jakarta on Wednesday.
Judge Zainal revealed that the court intended to investigate the circumstances surrounding Andrie’s condition before, during, and after the incident, details which only the victim himself would know. However, the court’s good faith was not reciprocated by Andrie.
According to the testimony of the head of Andrie’s medical team, Dr Parintosa Atmodiwirjo, who appeared as an expert witness, it was possible for Andrie to provide testimony online once he was in the outpatient phase of his recovery. “However, in this instance, until the conclusion of the examination, there was no apparent willingness from Mr Andrie Yunus,” Judge Zainal noted.
While the Panel of Judges initially understood the situation, they noted that by ignoring this obligation, Andrie appeared to take a contrary stance towards the trial proceedings, creating a negative impression of distrust in the Military Court’s judicial process. The judges further opined that Andrie’s attitude appeared to disrespect the legitimate legal process provided by the state, thereby undermining the dignity of the court.
In the case of the alleged assault against Andrie, four defendants have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one year and six months to three years. The defendants—Sergeant Edi Sudarko (three years), First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi (two years and six months), Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya (two years), and Lieutenant Sami Lakka (one year and six months)—were all penalised. In addition to imprisonment, Edi and Budhi were also subject to dishonourable discharge from military service.
The four TNI personnel were proven to have splashed acid on Andrie with the intention of teaching him a lesson and creating a “deterrent effect” to prevent him from disparaging the TNI institution. The defendants were reportedly provoked by Andrie’s legal challenge to the TNI Law at the Constitutional Court, his allegations of TNI intimidation at the KontraS office, and his claims that the TNI was behind the riots in late August 2025, as well as his promotion of anti-militarist narratives.
The court ruled that the actions of the TNI personnel, who planned the acid attack despite knowing the chemical could cause severe burns, were highly inappropriate for members of the military. Consequently, the four defendants were found guilty of violating Article 467, paragraph (1) juncto paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 20, letter C of the National Penal Code (KUHP).