Indonesia jails four military officers for acid attack on rights activist

Prosecutors argued successful tribunal that the soldiers were motivated by choler implicit Andrie Yunus’s activism.

An Indonesian subject tribunal has sentenced 4 officers for their engagement successful an acerb onslaught connected an activistic known for campaigning against the increasing relation of the army.

One suspect was sentenced to 3 years successful jail, a 2nd to 2.5 years, the 3rd to 2 years and the 4th to 1.5 years, the justice said connected Wednesday.

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The 4 officers – each members of the military’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) – were recovered blameworthy connected charges of superior premeditated battle aft attacking Andrie Yunus, a ‌deputy coordinator with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, a rights radical besides known arsenic KontraS.

The proceedings of the 4 accused officers began successful April successful Jakarta and drew nationalist and planetary attraction arsenic experts described the soldiers’ alleged actions arsenic portion of a broader signifier of repression amid increasing concerns implicit rising subject power and antiauthoritarian backsliding successful Indonesia.

Yunus, 27, was attacked connected March 12 portion helium was riding a motorbike successful the capital. Two men connected different motorbike threw acerb astatine him, leaving him unsighted successful 1 oculus and with burns connected much than 20 percent of his look and body.

The charges against the soldiers for premeditated battle carried a maximum condemnation of 12 years successful prison.

Presiding justice Fredy Ferdian Isnartanto recovered that soldiers Edi Sudarko, 45, Budi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, 43, Nandala Dwi Prasetia, 40, and Sami Lakka, 41, engaged successful “arrogant conduct”.

Activists clasp achromatic umbrellas and posters during a ‘Kamisan’ (every Thursday) protestation successful beforehand of the Presidential Palace successful Jakarta connected April 30, 2026, demanding justness for quality rights violations and condemning the caller acerb onslaught connected Andrie Yunus, the lawman coordinator of the KontraS rights radical [Bay Ismoyo/AFP]

Following outrage implicit the attack, the subject agency’s main stepped down, but nary crushed was made public.

Prosecutors argued successful tribunal that the accused soldiers were motivated by choler implicit Yunus’s activism but said they were not acting nether authoritative orders.

The United Nations has condemned the attack, with High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk calling it a “cowardly enactment of violence” and Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor describing it arsenic “horrific”.

Yunus had been a vocal professional of President Prabowo Subianto’s authorities and its efforts to grow the military’s relation successful civilian governance successful Indonesia, including an amendment passed past twelvemonth that allows active-duty subject unit to clasp a wider scope of authorities positions.

Yunus had asked for the proceedings to beryllium held successful a civilian court, not a subject one, for fearfulness of a cover-up successful a state wherever attacks connected activists are seldom punished. He refused to be immoderate of the proceedings hearings, citing wellness reasons and distrust successful the court.