Prabowo Demands Unmasking of Masterminds in Andrie Yunus Case
President Prabowo Subianto wants to thoroughly investigate the attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. Prabowo has instructed his subordinates to uncover the intellectual authors behind the attack.
According to Prabowo, law enforcement must not only target the field executors who threw acid on Andrie. He has instructed that the figures behind the incident must also be investigated. “Who ordered it, who paid for it (must be revealed),” said Prabowo in a statement released by the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday, 19 March 2026.
Prabowo expressed this stance during a question-and-answer session in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, which took place on Wednesday night, 18 March 2026, until Thursday early morning, 19 March 2026. In that interview, Prabowo answered questions from several journalists and experts he invited to his residence.
The Gerindra Party Chairman stated that law enforcement agencies must not show favouritism towards perpetrators of violence. He said the legal process must run to completion, including if there is involvement of state apparatus in the attack.
This former defence minister claimed there would be no impunity for apparatus who commit violence. “Of course not, there won’t be (impunity). I guarantee it,” said the President.
He will not tolerate any form of violence against citizens, including critical activists. Prabowo conveyed that he was elected by the people to defend the people. “But we must be vigilant, I demand it be investigated properly. Right down to the actors,” he said.
Prabowo also condemned the acid attack on Andrie Yunus. He described the act as barbaric terrorism.
Previously, two unidentified individuals threw acid at Andrie Yunus in the Talang Street area, Salemba, Central Jakarta, on Thursday night, 12 March 2026. Andrie then received treatment in the Emergency Department (IGD) of dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) on Friday early morning, 13 March 2026, around 00:00 WIB.
As a result of the incident, Andrie suffered burns covering 24 percent of his body. A medical team consisting of six doctors from various specialisations—ophthalmology, ENT, neurology, orthopaedics, thoracic, internal medicine, and dermatology—is now treating Andrie.
The Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police or Polda Metro Jaya identified the two attackers on Andrie as BHC and MAK. Police displayed photos of both in a press conference at Polda Metro Jaya headquarters, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.
On the same day, the Indonesian National Armed Forces Military Police Centre or Puspom TNI announced the detention of four individuals initialled NDP, SL, BWH, and ES suspected of involvement in the attack. All four are members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) from the air and naval branches.