Parliament Commission III urges police to investigate perpetrators of acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus

Jakarta — Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives Commission III Ahmad Sahroni has called on the police to thoroughly investigate both the perpetrators and the masterminds behind the acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus, Vice Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS).

Sahroni stated that such acts of terror against activists are detrimental to Indonesia’s democratic climate, particularly if the violence is motivated by the victim’s activism. “I request that the police immediately conduct a thorough investigation into who the perpetrators and masterminds are behind this attack and reveal the motive clearly,” Sahroni said in Jakarta on Friday.

Meanwhile, Commission III member Soedison Tandra emphasised that the case must be investigated as an attack on citizen safety, regardless of the victim’s background as an activist. He pledged to monitor the police investigation. “Police, as state officers and protectors of society, are obligated to reveal this thoroughly and apprehend the perpetrator and determine the motive behind it,” Soedison stated.

KontraS previously reported that Andrie Yunus was attacked by unknown assailants who sprayed caustic soda, causing burns to his hands, feet, and eyes. The incident occurred shortly after Yunus had finished recording a podcast at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) offices, discussing militarism and judicial review of the Armed Forces Law.

According to initial information, at approximately 23:37 local time, the victim was riding a motorcycle on Jalan Salemba I in Central Jakarta when two assailants on a motorcycle approached him and sprayed the caustic substance before fleeing. The attack resulted in burns covering approximately 24 per cent of Yunus’s body, requiring immediate emergency medical treatment, particularly for his eyes which were directly exposed to the liquid.