Timeline of Acid Attack on KontraS Activist
KontraS Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus was attacked and assaulted with a corrosive acid spray whilst on Jalan Salemba I-Talang, Central Jakarta, on the evening of Thursday, 12 March 2026. Andrie was doused with the dangerous solution by two unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle that approached from the opposite direction.
KontraS Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya stated that the perpetrators sprayed acid across the front of Andrie’s body. Andrie subsequently collapsed on the road. “The victim immediately screamed in pain and dropped his motorcycle,” said Dimas on Friday, 13 March 2026.
Dimas explained that prior to the incident, Andrie had just completed recording a podcast titled “Remilitarisation and Judicial Review in Indonesia” at the Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office in Central Jakarta at approximately 11:00 PM on Thursday evening. Afterwards, the victim stopped at a petrol station in the Cikini area, Central Jakarta, before continuing his journey on motorcycle.
At approximately 11:37 PM, two individuals, presumed to be male, riding an automatic motorcycle approached Andrie. The two then sprayed acid towards him. The corrosive chemical liquid struck the right side of Andrie’s body, including his eyes, face, chest, and hands. Portions of the victim’s clothing also melted from exposure to the acid. Medical examination results showed Andrie sustained severe burns covering 24 percent of his body. The victim screamed in pain and mentioned acid, prompting several residents to arrive at the scene.
The suspected perpetrators dropped a stainless steel glass whilst attempting to flee. The perpetrators allegedly fled towards Jalan Salemba Raya in Central Jakarta. The victim is currently receiving intensive care at hospital.
Dimas condemned the assault against Andrie, who has long been a human rights defender. “The acid spray attack on the victim can result in fatal and serious wounds, potentially even death,” he said.
He urged law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident and identify the perpetrators. According to Dimas, the perpetrators could be charged with attempted murder given that the attack occurred following Andrie’s work defending human rights interests.
Dimas continued that aside from recording the podcast, Andrie had several activities on Thursday. Among these, Andrie attended a meeting of the Fact-Finding Commission Team regarding the August 2025 demonstrations at the Celios office on Thursday afternoon.
Beyond this latest violence, Andrie had previously experienced a series of threats following his disruption of a closed-door meeting between Parliament and the government at the Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta, in March 2025. That closed meeting discussed revisions to the Indonesian National Armed Forces Act.
“The victim should receive protection rights based on national and international law that Indonesia has received, both as a citizen and as a human rights defender,” Dimas said.