Police Assert Photo of Acid Attack Suspect Against KontraS Activist is AI-Generated

Metro Jakarta Police Public Relations Chief Kombes Budi Hermanto has addressed circulating images on social media purporting to show the face of the perpetrator who attacked KontraS activist Andrie Yunus with acid. Hermanto emphasised that these images are artificial intelligence (AI) generated and misleading.

“We also inform you that there have been developments in the field, including on social media, with CCTV screenshots of two individuals appearing,” Hermanto stated in his remarks on Sunday (15/3/2026).

“We believe this is an AI-generated result, and there is likely an attempt to mislead the investigation process,” he added.

Hermanto appealed to the public to exercise wisdom on social media so that the case investigation remains focused and is not disrupted by deliberate interference.

“We hope the public will also be prudent so that this investigation remains focused and undisrupted, not interfered with by things deliberately created to mislead,” he said.

Hermanto also requested that the public give police space and time to investigate the perpetrators of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus, asserting that authorities would swiftly apprehend those responsible.

“We also appeal to all members of the public to give investigators space and time so that this investigation can be handled comprehensively and we can pursue the perpetrators who carried out the attack with hazardous liquid against the activist,” he stated.

As previously reported, Andrie Yunus, a KontraS activist, became the victim of an acid attack allegedly carried out by two perpetrators in Central Jakarta on Thursday evening (12/3). The incident occurred whilst Andrie was on his way home after attending a podcast event at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).