Minister Yusril Comments on Andrie Yunus Case Verdict

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has assessed that the prison sentences handed down to four TNI personnel linked to the alleged assault of Andrie Yunus demonstrate judicial independence. This independence, he stated, is primarily evident in upholding the law based on the facts revealed during the trial without intervention from any party. “The government fully respects the verdict handed down by the panel of judges,” said Yusril, as confirmed in Jakarta on Wednesday. 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 four defendants are Second Sergeant Edi Sudarko, who received three years in prison; First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, who received two years and six months; Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya, who received two years; and First Lieutenant Sami Lakka, who received one year and six months. Yusril opined that the legal considerations used by the panel of judges in handing down the verdicts to the defendants showed a careful assessment of the level of involvement and guilt of each defendant. Consequently, he appreciated the panel’s decision to impose varied sentences by considering the military prosecutor’s demands according to the severity of the defendants’ mistakes. Furthermore, he noted that there was a decision that was ultra petita, or exceeding the demand, namely imposing a three-year prison sentence on one of the defendants, whereas the initial sentence demand for all four defendants was two years and six months. “This is important so that it becomes a lesson for other TNI soldiers not to repeat similar criminal acts,” he said. The behaviour of Andrie, which the defendants perceived as demeaning the TNI institution, occurred on 16 March 2025 when the activist from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) forced his way in and interrupted a meeting on the revision of the TNI Law in Jakarta. Other actions that angered the defendants included Andrie challenging the TNI Law at the Constitutional Court, accusing the TNI of intimidation or terror at the KontraS office, being the mastermind or actor behind the late August 2025 riots, and actively promoting anti-militarism narratives. Thus, the actions of the TNI personnel, who had planned to throw acid at Andrie, knowing that the chemical could cause severe burns, constituted inappropriate conduct for TNI members. For their actions, all four defendants were found guilty of violating Article 467 paragraph (1) in conjunction with paragraph (2) jo. Article 20 letter C of the National Criminal Code.