TAUD Identifies 16 Acid Attack Perpetrators, Alludes to Intelligence Operation

The Tim Advokasi untuk Demokrasi (TAUD), comprising several civil society organisations, states that the field perpetrators who threw acid at Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) Andrie Yunus involved at least 16 individuals. TAUD also describes this as an intelligence operation. “We have identified at least 16 field perpetrators. If we are given further opportunity, we would be happy to discuss and present the evidence, but then we see there is a transfer process,” said Director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Fadhil Alfathan during a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with House of Representatives Commission III in Jakarta on Tuesday (31/3). Fadhil criticised Metro Jaya Police for transferring the case handling to the TNI Military Police Centre (Puspom). He called the transfer premature and demanded an explanation of its legal basis. In his presentation, Fadhil referenced Law No. 20 of 2025 on the new Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP). There is inconsistency between the provisions in that law and the legal process for Andrie’s case. “One of the substances pushed by the House of Representatives and which became a provision in the Criminal Procedure Code is how to position Polri investigators as the primary investigators, regardless of the debates at the time, so in this case we question the formation process that positions Polri investigators as primus inter pares in the investigation process,” he stated. “But here we hear there is a transfer to other criminal investigators. Our question is simple. What is the legal basis? Show and convey it transparently and accountably to us,” Fadhil emphasised. He also urged House Commission III to review Metro Jaya Police’s decision to transfer the acid attack case handling on Andrie to Puspom TNI. “Because according to us, there is no legal basis for the transfer as regulated in our new procedural law. This transfer must be reviewed, examined again transparently and accountably, because there are victim rights that must be fulfilled, and that is the title of the colleagues’ presentation earlier that justice for Andrie is justice for us all,” he asserted. Intelligence Operation At the same occasion, Chairman of the Indonesia Memanggil (IM57+) Institute Lakso Anindito revealed that the acid attack on Andrie was an intelligence operation. This is evident, among others, from the number and background of the perpetrators. “There are 16 identified field perpetrators, and that could not have been done without using state intelligence tools,” Lakso said. Lakso, a former KPK investigator with experience in surveillance, is convinced there is a combination of field perpetrators with state tools used. Therefore, he urges serious accountability from the intelligence organisation, in this case the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS). “I see that here there is a more serious accountability process, because state tools and state members are used to harm civil society,” he explained. “So, I want to emphasise one important aspect, namely that this is an intelligence operation,” Lakso concluded. Andrie Yunus was doused with acid about two weeks ago after speaking at a podcast at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office titled “Remilitarisation & Judicial Review of the TNI Law”. Police once announced the initials of two suspects, but at the same time, the TNI also stated that it had detained four people from the BAIS TNI Headquarters Detachment (Denma) as field perpetrators in the acid attack on Andrie. Andrie is currently still receiving intensive treatment at the National General Hospital Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo (RSCM) in Jakarta. The RSCM medical team found ischaemia or lack of blood flow in the area below the right sclera of Andrie’s eye.