Four Indonesian soldiers are on trial for an acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus, who opposed military involvement in government. The attack occurred on March 12, and the soldiers face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
Key points
Four soldiers are on trial for an acid attack on an activist.
The attack was against Andrie Yunus, who campaigned against military involvement in government.
The soldiers face serious meditated assault charges.
The attack occurred on March 12 in Jakarta.
The defendants appeared in court in military fatigues.
Mentioned in this story
Andrie YunusEdi SudarkoBudi Hariyanto Widhi CahyonoNandala Dwi PrasetiaSami LakkaCommission for Missing Persons and Victims of ViolenceJakarta
A trial has opened in a military court in Jakarta for four Indonesian soldiers accused of carrying out an acid attack on an activist who campaigned against the expansion of the role of the armed forces in government.
Military prosecutors charged the group, including Edi Sudarko, Budi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, Nandala Dwi Prasetia and Sami Lakka, on Wednesday with serious meditated assault, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years under Indonesia’s criminal code.
The defendants, who were represented by military-appointed lawyers, appeared in court in fatigues. A defence lawyer for the men told the court they would not dispute the indictment, allowing the trial to proceed.
The attack unfolded on March 12, when activist Andrie Yunus – a deputy coordinator with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) – was riding a motorbike in Jakarta. Two men on another motorbike doused him with acid.
Visitors walk past a mural featuring Andrie Yunus, the deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group who suffered serious injuries when two men on a scooter threw acid at him, at a Mural Exhibition, "From Citizens for Andrie", in Jakarta, on April 27, 2026.
Visitors walk past a mural featuring Andrie Yunus, the deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, who suffered serious injuries when two men on a scooter threw acid at him, at a Mural Exhibition, ‘From Citizens for Andrie’, in Jakarta, on April 27, 2026 [AFP]
Andrie, 27, received burns across more than 20 percent of his face and body and was blinded in one eye, according to military prosecutor Mohammad Iswadi.
Although police at first identified two other suspects based on CCTV footage, four others were ultimately arrested.
They all worked for the Indonesian military’s Strategic Intelligence Agency, whose chief has since resigned, though a reason was not provided.
Iswadi said the group was angered over Andrie’s activism, but was not working on official orders.
At the time of the attack, Andrie had just finished recording a podcast, criticising what he describes as the militarisation of the Indonesian government under President Prabowo Subianto, a former general.
Q&A
What charges are the Indonesian soldiers facing in the acid attack case?
The soldiers are charged with serious meditated assault, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years.
Who is Andrie Yunus and what was his role in the incident?
Andrie Yunus is an activist and deputy coordinator with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), who was attacked while riding his motorbike in Jakarta.
When did the acid attack on Andrie Yunus occur?
The acid attack on Andrie Yunus took place on March 12.
What is the significance of the trial for military involvement in Indonesian politics?
The trial highlights ongoing tensions regarding the role of the military in Indonesian governance and the risks faced by activists opposing military influence.
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He had also protested an amendment ratified by Indonesia’s parliament last year, allowing active-duty military personnel to be appointed to a wider range of government posts, including in the attorney general’s office, national disaster mitigation and the counterterrorism agency.
Advocacy for Democracy Team (TAUD) members hold posters in solidarity with Andrie Yunus, an activist and deputy coordinator with Indonesia's rights group Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), who suffered burns to 24% of his face and arms from acid thrown by two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle on March 12, after a press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
Advocacy for Democracy Team (TAUD) members hold posters in solidarity with Andrie Yunus in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 16, 2026 [Willy Kurniawan/Reuters]
Rights groups criticised the move as boosting military involvement in public affairs, potentially leading to abuses of power and human rights.
“The suspects deemed Andrie Yunus to have insulted and stomped on the military as an institution,” Iswadi said.
The Indonesian human rights watchdog, Komnas HAM, has separately claimed that at least 14 people were linked to the attack.
The incident “could lead to fear among civilians to criticise government officials”, the group warned.
According to Iswadi, the four men planned the attack at their military lodgings in Jakarta.
One of them obtained “rust removal fluid” from a military workshop and mixed it with battery fluid, he said, before the group went searching for Andrie on motorbikes.
The next hearing is scheduled for May 6, when the prosecution is expected to produce witnesses.