On 5 September 2026, the Jakarta High Military Court II-08 reduced the sentences of two of four soldiers convicted in connection with the acid attack against Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS). While the appeals of all four defendants were formally accepted, only the sentences of Second Sergeant Edi Sudarko and First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi were reduced.
The appeal decision reduced Edi Sudarko’s sentence to two years and six months and Budhi Hariyanto Widhi’s to two years. Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya and First Lieutenant Sami Lakka received sentences of two years and one year and six months, respectively. The ruling also overturned the dismissal from military service previously imposed on Edi and Budhi.
The decision prompted criticism from human rights actors over accountability in a case involving violence against a human rights defender. The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) raised concerns about the ruling and its implications for the military justice system, while Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai encouraged the victim’s legal team to pursue a cassation appeal, stressing the need to consider justice from the victim’s perspective.
For civil society, the ruling brings the issue of accountability for violence against human rights defenders and access to effective remedies into sharper focus, particularly when members of the military are involved. Reduced sanctions in such cases may weaken confidence in protection and justice mechanisms and may also discourage human rights defenders and activists from carrying out their activities due to fears that they may not receive adequate protection or effective remedies when facing violence. This could contribute to a less enabling environment for defenders and organisations working on human rights and military accountability.