Indonesian Military Court Sentences Intelligence Officers for Attacking Activist

The Jakarta Military Court II-08 has sentenced four members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces' Strategic Intelligence Agency (Bais TNI) to prison for their roles in an attack on Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS). The sentences, handed down on May 13, 2026, range from 1.5 to 2 years imprisonment.

Second Sergeant Edi Sudarko received a 3-year sentence and dismissal from service for splashing a chemical substance on Yunus. First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months with dismissal for preparing the chemical substance and participating in the search for the victim. Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya received a 2-year sentence for identifying and following the victim, while First Lieutenant Sami Lakka was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months for assisting in the search.

Following the verdict, an X account, @wartawanmedia1, praised the military court, stating, "Military courts are not a place of impunity." The account noted that the sentences were harsher than those given to police officers involved in the acid attack on former Corruption Eradication Commission investigator Novel Baswedan. This post was widely shared and garnered significant support in comments.

However, the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) and Amnesty International Indonesia criticized the sentences as too lenient. They argued that the punishment did not adequately reflect the permanent damage inflicted on Andrie Yunus, who suffered the loss of vision in his right eye due to the acid attack. Support for the TNI and the military court was also expressed by numerous other anonymous accounts online.

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Military courts are not a place of impunity.