TNI Reveals Reasons for Investigating Andrie Yunus Case
The TNI General Headquarters has disclosed the reasons behind opening an internal investigation into the acid attack against Kontras activist Andrie Yunus. Brigadier General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah, Head of the Military Information Centre, stated that the investigation aims to respond to public opinion regarding potential involvement of military personnel in the incident.
“We are responding to the opinions developing in society. Therefore, we must conduct an internal investigation,” he said at the TNI Media Hall in Jakarta on the evening of Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
According to him, the investigation will involve various units within the TNI. The investigative process will be conducted using TNI internal methods. However, Aulia declined to explain the specific methodology employed. “We will conduct this professionally and not recklessly,” he said.
Aulia stated that the investigation is currently ongoing. He assured that the inquiry would be conducted professionally and transparently. “In accordance with the regulations and laws within the TNI,” he said.
He noted that the transparency of the investigation process would be ensured by inviting journalists to report the investigation results.
The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), representing the legal counsel of Andrie Yunus, Vice Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), previously urged police to uncover the systematic pattern behind the attack on their client. Andrie became a victim of an acid attack by unknown perpetrators on the evening of Thursday, 12 March 2026.
TAUD representative Fadhil Alfathan suspected that the attackers numbered more than the two individuals captured by CCTV cameras at the time of the incident. “We also believe there is suspicion of intellectual actors,” Fadhil said on Monday, 16 March 2026.
According to Fadhil, the acid attack on Andrie was systematic in nature. The attack is believed to have been carried out by a group of people working together, with each member assigned specific roles from surveillance to execution.
Because of this, he urged police not only to focus on identifying the operatives who carried out the direct attack on the victim, but also to identify the principal actors who planned the operation well in advance.
Director of General Criminal Investigation at the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, stated that a total of four suspects had been identified by the investigative team. These suspects are believed to have been tracking the victim’s movements prior to the incident.
Iman stated that police continue to conduct thorough investigations to uncover the case. “We will continue to strive and work to the best of our ability,” Iman said at a press conference at the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police headquarters on Monday, 16 March 2026.
Andrie Yunus was attacked with acid while on Jalan Salemba I-Talang in Central Jakarta on the evening of Thursday, 12 March 2026. Andrie was sprayed with a dangerous chemical solution by two unknown individuals arriving on a motorcycle from the opposite direction. The corrosive chemical liquid struck the right side of Andrie’s body, including his eyes, face, chest, and hands. Part of the victim’s clothing also melted from exposure to the acid. Medical examination results showed Andrie sustained serious chemical burns covering 24 per cent of his body.