YLBHI: Uncovering the Andrie Yunus Case Aligns with President's Directives
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) assesses that a comprehensive uncovering of the case aligns with the directives of President Prabowo Subianto, who emphasised that the incident involving Deputy Coordinator of KontraS Andrie Yunus must be dismantled down to the main perpetrators.
In a discussion organised by the Indonesia Youth Congress (IYC) in Jakarta on Monday (30/3), YLBHI Chairman Muhamad Isnur stated that President Prabowo, in an interview with journalists some time ago, had described the acid splashing case against Andrie as a form of terrorism.
“Therefore, we urge the National Police to immediately and thoroughly uncover the acid splashing case against Andrie Yunus up to the intellectual actors behind the incident,” Isnur said, as quoted from a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Isnur also highlighted the increasing patterns of terror, doxxing, and intimidation against human rights activists, civil society organisations (CSOs), and influencers who voice criticism against state policies, as reported by several national media outlets.
He opined that if various such cases are not resolved seriously, the public may potentially doubt the Prabowo-Gibran government’s commitment to protecting democracy and human rights.
Thus, he said, acid splashing cases and criminalisation against activists must not be normalised. The state must step in to uncover them because only the state has the authority and resources.
According to him, organisations such as KontraS, YLBHI, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBHJ), and civil society coalitions have often been at the forefront in uncovering various allegations of violations.
Meanwhile, state institutions, including the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) of Indonesia, have not been optimal in uncovering actors behind several important incidents, including who the main actors were behind the August 2025 demonstration riots.
“We also remind that the uncovering of important facts in various violent incidents should not be burdened on civil society,” he stated.
On the same occasion, criminal law expert from Binus University Ahmad Sofyan emphasised that military sector reform needs to be a joint agenda to strengthen the rule of law principle in Indonesia.
He assessed that revising the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Law is important to ensure no legal immunity in the judicial process.
“The rule of law principle is equality before the law. No party should be immune from the law,” Ahmad stated.
He also noted that the acid splashing case against Andrie should be processed through general courts, not military courts.
Furthermore, he asserted that the incident can be qualified as an attempted premeditated murder, so law enforcement authorities must uncover not only the field perpetrators but also those who gave the orders, for the sake of justice for the victim and the wider public.
Previously, President Prabowo Subianto stated that the acid splashing case against KontraS activist Andrie Yunus is a serious criminal act classified as terrorism and must be investigated down to the masterminds behind the incident.
According to a statement from the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) of Indonesia received in Jakarta on Thursday (19/3), the President conveyed this during a question-and-answer session with journalists.
“This is terrorism. This is a barbaric act. We must pursue it. We must investigate it. We must investigate it!” Prabowo said.
The President emphasised that law enforcement must not stop at the field perpetrators but must be able to uncover the intellectual actors behind the incident.