Indonesian Military Officers Charged in Premeditated Acid Attack on Activist

In a development that has sent ripples through Indonesia's civil society and legal circles, four officers from the Indonesian Military (TNI) have been formally charged in the Jakarta Military Court for their alleged involvement in a premeditated acid attack against human rights activist Andrie Yunus. The indictment, read out on April 29, details a shocking sequence of events, painting a picture of a targeted assault stemming from Yunus's vocal opposition to a controversial revision of the TNI Law.

Prosecutors contend that the defendants – Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya, First Lieutenants Budhi Hariyanto Widhi and Sami Lakka, and Second Sergeant Edi Sudarko, all reportedly affiliated with the TNI’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) – acted out of perceived insult to the military institution. Their alleged motive arose from Yunus's disruption of a closed-door deliberation on the TNI Law revision in March 2025. Yunus, associated with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), had publicly voiced concerns that the bill, which was eventually passed, would unduly expand the military's role in civilian affairs and lacked transparency.

The indictment further elaborates on the alleged planning phase, suggesting the officers researched Yunus's movements and concocted the acid mixture from industrial chemicals. The attack reportedly occurred in March, shortly after the legislative revision was passed, when Yunus was leaving the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office. The fact that two of the defendants sustained injuries from the acid during the assault, leading to their questioning by BAIS officers and subsequent reporting to the Military Police Headquarters (Puspom TNI), is a crucial element in the prosecution's case.

However, the decision to hold this trial within the military justice system continues to draw criticism. Activist groups and legal observers have consistently called for the case to be transferred to a civilian court, arguing that such serious offenses against a civilian activist should be adjudicated under public law. This demand stems from a broader concern about the military's influence in civilian matters and the potential for a military trial to lack the transparency and impartiality expected in cases involving alleged abuses against citizens. The prosecution's framing of the incident as an act of premeditated assault under Article 469 of the Criminal Code, carrying a maximum 12-year sentence, highlights the gravity of the charges, yet the venue of the trial remains a significant point of contention.

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Based on this incident, the defendants considered that Andrie had insulted and even trampled on the dignity of the military institution