Vice President's Aide Pledges Full Investigation into Acid Attack on Human Rights Activist

Jakarta — The Vice President’s special aide Achmad Adhitya has assured that the government will conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged acid attack on human rights activist Andrie Yunus.

“The government will conduct a full investigation into this act of violence and ensure that such incidents do not occur again,” Adhitya stated in a written statement received in Jakarta on Sunday.

Adhitya conveyed that such violence should not occur because the state guarantees freedom of expression and activity as part of democracy protected by law.

“I condemn the acid attack on Andrie Yunus. This should not happen because the state, in accordance with President Prabowo’s direction, guarantees freedom of expression and activity as part of democracy guaranteed by law,” he said.

He stated that Yunus deserves justice for the violence he has suffered.

According to Adhitya, the state has a responsibility to provide a sense of justice whilst maintaining democratic space for all parties.

“The state will always be responsible for providing justice and democratic space to all parties,” he concluded.

It is known that Andrie Yunus, vice coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), became a victim of an attack by unknown assailants who doused him with acid, resulting in injuries to his hands and feet as well as vision impairment.

The incident occurred shortly after Andrie completed a podcast recording at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) discussing militarism and constitutional review of the military law.

Based on initial information gathered, the victim on Thursday evening (12 March) at approximately 23:37 Western Indonesia Time was riding a motorcycle on Salemba I Street in Central Jakarta.

Two assailants on a motorcycle then approached the victim and doused him with acid before fleeing the scene.

As a result of the attack, the victim suffered burns affecting approximately 24 per cent of his body and was immediately transported to hospital for emergency medical treatment, particularly to his eyes which were exposed to the liquid.