Civil society coalition urges top courts to respond to Andrie Yunus appeal ruling

Indonesia’s Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform has sharply condemned an appeal ruling that reduced prison terms and overturned the dismissal of two defendants in the acid attack against human rights defender Andrie Yunus.

In a statement on Saturday, the coalition said the military high court’s decision showed the military justice system had failed to impose proportionate accountability when its members commit serious crimes against civilians. “When the sentence is reduced and dismissal is removed, without an open and convincing consideration of the seriousness of the act, the permanent impact on the victim, and the abuse of institutional access, the public receives a dangerous message: a soldier’s status can become a shield from firm legal and service consequences,” it said.

The coalition said the attack on Yunus, the external deputy coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, or KontraS, was not an ordinary assault. It described the incident as a planned attack on a human rights defender that caused serious injuries, restricted the victim’s life and spread fear among people willing to scrutinize those in power.

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When the sentence is reduced and dismissal is removed, without an open and convincing consideration of the seriousness of the act, the permanent impact on the victim, and the abuse of institutional access, the public receives a dangerous message: a soldier’s status can become a shield from firm legal and service consequences.

“Justice must not stop at punishing those on the ground. The state must uncover the chain of command, the motive, the planning, the use of resources, and the possible responsibility of superiors,” the coalition said. Without a full investigation, it argued, the truth would remain incomplete and accountability would reach only the lowest level.

The coalition renewed its opposition to military courts handling ordinary crimes against civilians. It said conflicts of interest are difficult to avoid when investigators, prosecutors, judges, defendants and case administration all belong to the same institution. It also cited Indonesia’s post-1998 reform direction, under which soldiers should face military courts only for military offenses, while ordinary crimes should go before civilian courts. The coalition said Law No. 31/1997 still bases jurisdiction on the offender’s status rather than the nature of the crime, allowing the same offense to face different standards because the accused is a soldier.

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Justice must not stop at punishing those on the ground. The state must uncover the chain of command, the motive, the planning, the use of resources, and the possible responsibility of superiors.