TAUD Suspects Civilian Involvement in Acid Attack Case Against KontraS Activist
The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) suspects civilian involvement in the acid attack case against KontraS deputy coordinator Andrie Yunus. This suspicion is based on findings from TAUD’s independent investigation.
“TAUD’s investigation findings indicate strong suspicions of civilian perpetrators’ involvement in the attempted murder of Andrie Yunus,” stated TAUD’s official press release received on Friday (20/3/2026).
In a press statement, TAUD revealed that the attack on Andrie Yunus is suspected to involve over a dozen perpetrators operating in a coordinated manner.
“We have obtained preliminary evidence that this operation was carried out by over a dozen perpetrators, including civilian ones among them,” it said.
TAUD noted that the Indonesian National Police’s (Polri) updates regarding the identities of two unidentified persons (OTK), namely MAK as the motorbike driver and BHC as the acid thrower, align with their initial investigation results. However, TAUD believes the police’s task is not yet complete and urges that the case be investigated thoroughly.
“Polri must still prove its commitment by uncovering this case completely and not shifting responsibility to other parties,” TAUD stated.
On the other hand, TAUD also highlighted the TNI’s Puspom’s claim of having secured four TNI soldiers as suspected perpetrators. However, TAUD questions this claim due to the absence of preliminary evidence published to the public.
“Therefore, we urge Puspom TNI to act transparently and accountably by releasing photos or directly showing the perpetrators so that their authenticity can be independently verified by the public,” TAUD encouraged.
Furthermore, TAUD assesses that the discrepancies in information between Polda Metro Jaya and Puspom TNI underscore the urgency of forming an independent team. They advocate for the establishment of a Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) involving law enforcement, civil society, and reputable community figures, with a clear legal basis.
In their findings, TAUD revealed suspicions of civilian perpetrator involvement identified as OTK 3. It was stated that this individual was seen around the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) several hours before the incident, wearing green online motorcycle taxi attire.
“This is based on the finding that the perpetrator referred to as OTK 3 (the second motorbike driver who tailed Andrie Yunus at the scene with a blue helmet) was seen around YLBHI several hours before the incident wearing a green online motorcycle taxi jacket,” it revealed.
This finding is deemed to strengthen suspicions that the perpetrators are not solely from military circles.
“Thus, it becomes very important for the law enforcement process in this case to remain under the general judiciary’s authority for the transparency and accountability of the law enforcement itself,” TAUD stated.
Additionally, based on surveillance camera footage around YLBHI, TAUD identified over a dozen perpetrators suspected of coordinating throughout the night of the incident. This number is considered far greater than the four mentioned by TNI’s Danpuspom, Major General Yusri Nuryanto.
“The discovery of over a dozen suspected perpetrators indicates that this was a large-scale, structured, and organised operation driven by parties with authority,” it added.
TAUD suspects that the planned attempted murder of Andrie Yunus involves a larger, trained, and systematic network. On that basis, TAUD urges the police not only to uncover field perpetrators but also to trace intellectual actors and parties providing operational support in the case.
“We urge the police to continue the investigation to find not only field actors but also intellectual actors responsible and those providing operational support to the perpetrators,” it concluded.
As known, Andrie Yunus became the victim of an acid attack in Central Jakarta on Thursday (12/3) night. The incident occurred while Andrie was on his way home after attending a podcast event at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office.