Civil coalition calls military court appeal ruling a dangerous message

A coalition of Indonesian civil society organizations has condemned an appellate military court ruling in the acid attack case involving Andrie Yunus, a deputy external coordinator at KontraS. The groups called the decision a failure of military justice and warned that it sends a dangerous signal to the public.

The ruling reduced prison terms and spared two of the four defendants from dismissal. In a written statement, the coalition said the outcome could imply that military status protects personnel from firm legal and service-related consequences.

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The public has received a dangerous message: a soldier’s status can become a shield from serious legal and service-related consequences.

“The public has received a dangerous message: a soldier’s status can become a shield from serious legal and service-related consequences,” the coalition said.

The groups again challenged the use of military courts for ordinary crimes against civilians. They said conflicts of interest are difficult to avoid when investigators, prosecutors, judges, defendants and case administrators all operate within the same institution.

“When a case affects institutional interests, the chain of command and soldiers’ careers, independence cannot simply be claimed,” the coalition said. “Independence must be visible, testable and genuinely trusted by victims and the public.”

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When a case affects institutional interests, the chain of command and soldiers’ careers, independence cannot simply be claimed. Independence must be visible, testable and genuinely trusted by victims and the public.

The coalition argued that the post-1998 reform direction was clear: military personnel should face military courts for military crimes, while ordinary crimes should go before civilian courts. It said allowing convicted personnel to remain in service weakens internal screening, blurs the institution’s tolerance for violence and undermines guarantees against repeat violations.

The groups urged the Supreme Court and Judicial Commission to examine the appeal process and the quality of its reasoning. They also called on parliament to revise the 1997 Military Court Law so military jurisdiction covers military offenses, not crimes committed against civilians. The coalition includes Imparsial, KontraS, YLBHI and Amnesty International Indonesia.

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Every ordinary crime committed by a TNI member, especially when the victim is a civilian, must be examined by a civilian court.