Indonesian police are seeking four suspects after an acid attack left KontraS deputy coordinator Andrie Yunus critically injured. CCTV reportedly shows four people on two scooters following him; authorities sent a helmet and a suspected acid container for forensic testing. The attack drew condemnation from UN rights officials and Human Rights Watch, while Indonesia's law minister pledged that those responsible will be brought to justice.
Indonesian Police Hunt Four Suspects After Acid Attack Leaves Rights Activist Critically Injured
A message in support of activist Andrie Yunus, injured in an acid attack (DEVI RAHMAN)(DEVI RAHMAN/AFP/AFP)
Indonesian police are searching for four suspects after an acid attack seriously injured prominent rights activist Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, officials said Monday.
KontraS said Andrie was riding a motorbike last week when two men on a scooter approached him and one threw acid. He sustained burns to his face, right eye, hands and torso and is being treated in intensive care; his most severe injury is to his right eye, the group said.
Jakarta police official Iman Imanuddin told reporters that CCTV footage shows four suspects on two scooters following Andrie before the assault. Authorities have submitted a motorcycle helmet and a container believed to have held the acid for forensic testing.
KontraS representative Jane Rosalina confirmed Andrie had just finished recording a podcast critical of the military's expanding role in government when he was attacked.
International Reaction
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said he was deeply concerned by the horrific attack and urged that those responsible be held to account. UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor called for a thorough and transparent investigation.
Indonesia's Minister of Law and Human Rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, vowed that perpetrators would be brought to justice. Human Rights Watch, in its most recent report on Indonesia, warned of democratic backsliding, increased censorship and intimidation of activists under President Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general who took office in 2024.
This attack has drawn condemnation from international rights bodies and renewed calls for stronger protections for activists and independent investigations.
Police have appealed to the public for any additional footage or information that could identify the suspects and speed up the ongoing forensic work.
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