National Police Commission Urges Police Response to Viral Photo of Suspected Acid Attacker of Andrie Yunus
JAKARTA — A commissioner of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), Choirul Anam, has called on the police to respond to viral photographs and videos on social media depicting the suspected perpetrator of an acid attack against Andrie Yunus, Vice-Coordinator of the Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS).
“We ask the police to respond to various viral video and photograph phenomena in a positive context. This is support for the investigation of the crime of acid attack against a human rights activist,” said Choirul Anam in a video statement received on Sunday, 15 March 2026.
Anam identified two significant meanings in the viral circulation of the suspect’s photograph. First, the image represents support for the victim and the human rights community in their work to improve the nation and contribute to ensuring democracy.
Anam stated that he had been in communication with Andrie Yunus and several colleagues from the human rights community at the hospital regarding the incident. He remarked that the attack had not instilled fear but rather strengthened their resolve.
“Once again, this case must be thoroughly investigated regardless of who the perpetrator is, including any parties behind the perpetrator, because this is to ensure that similar incidents do not recur and the police must provide their best efforts to uncover this case,” he said.
“Similar incidents could happen to anyone because this is a threat to our democracy,” he added.
The photograph, which displays the face of the suspected acid attacker against Andrie Yunus, Vice-Coordinator of KontraS, had previously circulated on social media. The image was uploaded by an account named @Robe1807 on social media platform X (Twitter) on Saturday, 14 March 2026.
In the post, the account urged police to immediately apprehend the perpetrator, whose face is clearly visible in the photograph.
“It’s already been flagged by UN Human Rights and it’s this clear from CCTV, yet the @DivHumas_Polri can’t arrest them. It’s strange when they can catch pirates,” the user wrote.
In the same post, the account also attached a screenshot from the official United Nations Human Rights Office account, which had highlighted the acid attack case against Andrie.