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Judge calls acid attack on activist 'amateurish', 'embarrassing' to intelligence agency
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Conflict & Security

Judge calls acid attack on activist 'amateurish', 'embarrassing' to intelligence agency

From CNN Indonesia · (40m ago) Indonesian Critical tone

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A military court judge described the acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus by four BAIS intelligence agency members as "amateurish" and "embarrassing" to the agency.
  • The judge questioned the BAIS Commander about the unprofessional execution of the attack, which was captured on CCTV.
  • The attackers reportedly acted out of anger over Andrie Yunus's vocal criticism of militarism and his interruption of a closed-door meeting.

The Military Court in Jakarta has delivered a scathing assessment of the recent acid attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus, labeling the operation by four members of the State Intelligence Agency's (BAIS) Denma unit as "amateurish" and deeply embarrassing. Presiding judge Colonel Chk Fredy Ferdian Isnartanto did not mince words, expressing his personal dismay at the crude and incompetent execution of the assault, which was unfortunately captured on CCTV.

I am not an intelligence person, maybe the friends here who are soldiers, when they see something like that, well, like the legal counsel said, it's so amateurish, it makes me annoyed to see it.

— Colonel Chk Fredy Ferdian IsnartantoThe presiding judge expresses his strong opinion on the amateurish execution of the acid attack.

During the trial, the judge directly questioned the Commander of BAIS Denma, Colonel Inf Heri Haryadi, about the professionalism of his subordinates. The judge's pointed inquiries highlighted the stark contrast between the expected clandestine precision of intelligence operatives and the messy, easily traceable actions of the perpetrators. He lamented the lack of basic precautions, such as disguises, that would be expected even from non-specialized personnel, let alone intelligence agents.

That's if we, just give it to people, no need to be trained... This is embarrassing BAIS. The title is, in quotes, embarrassing BAIS. Why is the method so bad, messy. Well, in your opinion, is this the work of BAIS people?

— Colonel Chk Fredy Ferdian IsnartantoThe judge questions the BAIS Commander about the unprofessionalism of the attack.

Colonel Haryadi, while attempting to maintain official decorum, was pressed by the judge for a personal opinion on the matter. He stated that his unit's daily focus is on service and that the actions of the accused were outside their usual purview. However, the judge persisted, emphasizing that the operation was not only incompetent but also damaging to the reputation of BAIS, suggesting it was a "stupid" and "ugly" job.

Yes. Excuse me, we do not comment on that matter, but we...

— Colonel Inf Heri HaryadiThe BAIS Commander's initial response when questioned by the judge.

From an Indonesian perspective, this incident raises serious questions about the conduct and oversight of intelligence agencies. While the article focuses on the judicial proceedings and the judge's strong remarks, the underlying issue of state actors allegedly targeting activists is a sensitive one. The public's reaction, as reflected in the judge's own frustration, is one of disbelief and anger that such an operation could be carried out so ineptly by an agency meant to be sophisticated and discreet. The fact that the attackers were reportedly motivated by Yunus's activism against militarism adds a layer of political tension, suggesting a potential clash between state security apparatus and civil society.

Just personally, this is so stupid.

— Colonel Chk Fredy Ferdian IsnartantoThe judge's blunt personal assessment of the attackers' actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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