Trial in Andrie Yunus Acid Attack Case: Judge Insists on Presenting Chemistry Expert
The continuation of the trial in the acid attack case against Andrie Yunus was held at the Jakarta Military Court on Wednesday (6/5/2026). The four defendants in this case are Defendant I Sergeant Two Edi Sudarko, Defendant II First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, Defendant III Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo, and Defendant IV First Lieutenant Sami Lakka.
In the indictment, the liquid used by the defendants to splash Andrie was a mixture of rust cleaner and car battery acid. The judge initially asked whether all witnesses in the case file had been presented at the trial.
“Have all the witnesses in the file been exhausted?” asked the judge.
“Yes, they have,” replied the prosecutor.
The judge inquired whether the prosecutor would present a chemistry expert at the trial. However, the prosecutor said they would first discuss with the team whether it was necessary to present the chemistry expert.
The prosecutor stated that the perpetrators and the victim in this case were already clear. The judge interrupted the prosecutor’s statement and said that the presence of a chemistry expert could explain the level of danger of the liquid splashed on Andrie.
“I offer whether you want to present the additional one I mentioned earlier? Chemistry, chemistry, a chemistry expert?” asked the judge.
“Yes, with permission, we will discuss first whether it is necessary to present the witness for the chemical mixture. Because in our opinion, Your Honour, the impact is already clearly visible, and the perpetrators are also clear. So if we mix that in, I think the function would also be…,” said the prosecutor, interrupted by the judge.
“Oh, many things, whether the liquid is deadly, dangerous, what grade it is. We can find that out,” added the judge.
The prosecutor then said that Andrie as the victim and the defendants as the acid splashers were still alive. The judge said that although the victim and perpetrators were still alive, the content and reaction of the mixture of rust cleaner with car battery acid still needed to be checked.
“Yes, with permission, up to now both the defendants and the victim are still alive,” said the prosecutor.
“Yes, still alive, but we still need to check that,” added the judge.
“Yes, with permission, we will deliberate first among the prosecutors. We will then inform the clerk about summoning the witness for the chemistry, Your Honour,” said the prosecutor.
In today’s hearing, the prosecutor had presented eight witnesses. The trial will proceed with the agenda of examining experts from the defendant’s side or legal counsel on Thursday (7/5) next.
“So for now, no additional witnesses?” asked the judge.
“Yes, for now we don’t have any,” replied the prosecutor.
Indictment
Previously, the prosecutor charged the four TNI soldiers with carrying out the acid attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. The military prosecutor said the defendants carried out the action because they were annoyed with Andrie.
The prosecutor said the defendants learned of Andrie on 16 March 2025 when Andrie entered and interrupted a meeting discussing revisions to the TNI Law held by the DPR at the Fairmont Hotel, South Jakarta. The defendants considered Andrie’s actions to have insulted the TNI institution.
“With that incident, the defendants considered Brother Andrie Yunus to have insulted the TNI institution, even trampling on the TNI institution,” said the prosecutor when reading the indictment.
In short, the defendants sought information about Andrie Yunus’s activities. They divided tasks when carrying out the splashing.
The prosecutor charged the four soldiers with violating Article 469 paragraph 1 subsidiary Article 468 paragraph 1 further subsidiary Article 467 paragraph 1 in conjunction with paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 20 letter C of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.