On 10 June 2026, the military judge at the Military Court II-08 read the verdict for the four members of the Indonesian military (TNI) that were charged with attacking civil society leader Andrie Yunus with acid. Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya, First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Cahyono, First Lieutenant Sami Lakka, and Sergeant Second Class Edi Sudarko were found guilty of premediated assault resulting in serious injury, a lesser charge compared to what had been demanded by civil society, and sentenced to prison terms of 1.5 to 3 years. Considered lenient by civil society representatives, the prosecutor justified the sentencing demands with the lack of prior convictions, the perpetrators’ cooperation during the trial and their expressions of regret. The judge also found Andrie Yunus’ absence in the trial tantamount to an “abuse of the lawful processes established by the state” and ordered key evidence to be destroyed for it not be used for “undesirable purposes.”
Amnesty International Indonesia condemned the sentence as an insult to justice. Furthermore, the trial had been criticized by civil society organizations for relying on a military court, failing to identify the mastermind, and instead focusing on only four direct perpetrators. Independent investigations by KontraS and the legal defense team of Andrie Yunus, the Advocacy for Democracy Team (TAUD), had previously identified 16 perpetrators involved in the attack.
The attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus and the subsequent military tribunal have a profound impact on the enabling environment for civil society in Indonesia. When state apparatuses or military personnel are implicated in attacks against human rights defenders, the enabling environment shrinks significantly, creating a “chilling effect” on free speech and public critique. By granting leniency because the soldiers “cooperated and showed remorse,” the military court reinforces the perception of impunity.
Civil society continues to advocate for full accountability in the case. On 2 June 2026, the South Jakarta District Court granted an application for a pretrial lawsuit regarding the acid attack filed by TAUD. The Court also ordered the Metropolitan Police to continue its investigation into the attack. It is hoped that this investigation will lead to the prosecution of additional perpetrators and the mastermind of the attack.