Key facts
- Four Indonesian military officers were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 18 months to three years for an acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus.
- The officers, assigned to the Indonesian National Armed Forces' intelligence agency, were convicted of premeditated assault.
- The attack occurred after Yunus spoke out about the military's influence on the government.
- Rights groups criticized the sentences as too lenient and called for investigations into higher-level involvement.
- A civilian court has ordered police to continue investigating the case for additional perpetrators.
An Indonesian military court has sentenced four service members to prison terms of up to three years for an acid attack on human rights activist Andrie Yunus. The three navy marines and one air force officer, all assigned to the intelligence agency of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), were convicted of premeditated assault.
Sgt. Edi Sudarko received the longest sentence of three years, while First Lt. Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono was sentenced to two and a half years. Capt. Nandala Dwi Prasetya received two years, and Lt. Sami Lakka was jailed for 18 months. Sudarko and Cahyono were also dismissed from the TNI. The judges stated the defendants betrayed their duties, damaged the military's image, and inflicted trauma and permanent damage to Yunus's eye.
The attack occurred after Yunus, a lawyer and activist with KontraS, spoke about the military's influence on the government. Prosecutors had sought 2.5-year sentences for each soldier, arguing they acted on their own initiative. Yunus, who suffered burns on 20% of his body and permanent damage to his right eye, did not testify, citing ongoing recovery and distrust in the military court.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International Indonesia, criticized the sentences as too lenient and expressed concern that the trial risked becoming a "show trial," failing to address potential higher-level involvement or financing. Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) found indications of a planned and coordinated operation involving more individuals. A civilian court has ordered Jakarta Police to continue investigating the case, with civil society coalitions suggesting over a dozen people may have been involved.