Police Identify Four Suspects in Acid Attack on Human Rights Activist Andrie Yunus
Jakarta Metro Police have uncovered new evidence in the case of an acid attack on Andrie Yunus, Vice Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS). Based on CCTV surveillance analysis, police have identified four suspected perpetrators who used two motorcycles to carry out the attack.
Kombes Iman Imanuddin, Director of General Criminal Investigation at Jakarta Metro Police, explained that the suspects allegedly planned the operation by tracking the victim from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office until the incident location on Jalan Salemba 1 in Central Jakarta. “The four alleged perpetrators, using two motorcycles, waited for the victim in front of the KFC in Cikini. They then followed the victim moving towards Jalan Diponegoro and subsequently to Jalan Salemba 1,” Iman stated at Metro Police Headquarters on Monday, 16 March 2026.
To investigate the case, the police established a joint task force involving the Criminal Investigation Unit of Central Jakarta Police, the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of Jakarta Metro Police, and the National Police Criminal Investigation Directorate. Investigators examined 86 CCTV points to map the suspects’ movement routes and escape paths.
Approximately 2,610 video images with a total duration of 10,320 minutes were analysed digitally. The recordings came from various sources, including E-TLE cameras, the Communications and Information Office, the Transportation Department, and CCTV from residents and office buildings. “We obtained clear CCTV footage at the intersection of Jalan Talang, which has been very helpful to our investigation,” Iman explained.
CCTV analysis showed the suspects had gathered in front of Gambir Station before circling the National Monument area and Tugu Tani. When the victim finished activities at YLBHI and refuelled at a petrol station at approximately 23:32 local time, the suspects were already under surveillance at that location.
After carrying out the attack, the four perpetrators fled in two different directions to mislead officers. The first motorcycle went against traffic on Jalan Salemba towards Senen, Tugu Tani, Gondangdia, and ultimately to South Jakarta. The second motorcycle headed towards Matraman, Jatinegara, and was tracked to Jalan Otista in East Jakarta.
Iman added that one suspect changed clothing during the escape to remove traces. However, through a combination of CCTV analysis and communication network tracking, police managed to trace the suspects’ subsequent movements. “Communication network analysis showed the suspects subsequently dispersed to the Kalibata, Ragunan areas, and were detected as far as the Bogor region,” he concluded.
The attack occurred on 12 March 2026 late at night, when Andrie Yunus was travelling after completing a podcast recording discussing critiques of remilitarisation. As a result of the attack, Andrie suffered serious burns to his face, eyes, chest, and both hands.