A military court in Jakarta has begun the trial of four TNI intelligence personnel accused of an acid attack on human rights lawyer Andrie Yunus that caused severe burns and major vision loss. Prosecutors allege the defendants acted together and portray the assault as motivated by personal reasons, while rights groups dispute that account and object to military jurisdiction. The victim remains in recovery and did not attend the opening hearing; the court adjourned until May 6 for witness testimony. The case raises broader questions about military accountability and has drawn comparisons to past unresolved attacks on activists.
Military Trial Opens in Jakarta Over Acid Attack on Human Rights Activist
A military police person, far left, escorts Indonesian military personnel, from left, Sami Lakka, Nandala Dwi Prasetya, Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, and Edi Sudarko, accused of an acid attack on human right activist Andrie Yunus, during trial at a military court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A military court in Jakarta opened proceedings on Wednesday against four members of Indonesia's armed forces accused of throwing acid at prominent human rights lawyer Andrie Yunus, a case that has reopened public debate about military accountability.
The defendants — three navy marines and one air force officer attached to the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Strategic Intelligence Agency — are charged with serious premeditated assault for an attack on March 12 that left Yunus severely burned and with major vision loss. The suspects are identified as Sgt. Edi Sudarko, First Lt. Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, Capt. Nandala Dwi Prasetya and Air Force First Lt. Sami Lakka. If convicted, each faces up to 12 years in prison.
Indonesian military personnel, from left, Sami Lakka, Nandala Dwi Prasetya, Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, and Edi Sudarko, accused of carrying out an acid attack on human right activist Andrie Yunus, stand in attention during their trial at a military court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Military prosecutors told the court the four acted together and argued the assault was motivated by personal reasons. Prosecutor Mohammad Iswandi said the defendants hurled a vial of hydrochloric acid at Yunus "to teach him a lesson and deter him from making disparaging remarks about the TNI," and that the attack caused loss of sight in Yunus’ right eye and severe burns with little hope of full recovery.
“The actions of the defendants who threw chemical liquid on Andrie Yunus, resulting in the loss of sight in his right eye and severe burns with no hope of complete recovery, were inappropriate actions for members of the TNI,”
Human rights groups contest the account that frames the assault as a private vendetta and have criticized the choice to try the case in a military court rather than a civilian tribunal. Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said investigators have not shown a clear personal link between Yunus and the accused and alleged that official military resources were used in the attack, calling it difficult to accept the motive as purely personal.
Indonesian military personnel, from left, Sami Lakka, Nandala Dwi Prasetya, Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, and Edi Sudarko, accused of carrying out an acid attack on human right activist Andrie Yunus attend a trial at a military court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Jakarta police initially led the investigation and later announced military involvement. Military police arrested the four suspects six days after the attack. Prosecutors say Yunus was riding a motorcycle in central Jakarta on the evening of March 12 when a vial of hydrochloric acid struck his face, causing chemical burns to about 20% of his body and damage to roughly 40% of his right cornea. He has undergone multiple surgeries and remains in recovery, which prevented him from attending the opening hearing.
Presiding Judge Fredy Isnartanto: ‘As a citizen, Andrie Yunus is obliged to appear in this court… If not, I have the authority to compel his appearance.’
The court adjourned until May 6, when witnesses are expected to testify. Observers say the trial will be an early test of the military’s commitment to accountability after reforms that followed the fall of Suharto in 1998. The case has also drawn comparisons to the 2004 poisoning of Munir Said Thalib, a leading activist whose death remains controversial because questions persist about who ordered the killing.
President Prabowo Subianto, a former army general, has pledged to pursue those responsible and said he is considering an independent fact‑finding team. Rights groups say wider transparency is needed — including whether anyone ordered or financed the attack — to restore public trust in security institutions.
What Happens Next: The military court set the next hearing for May 6, when testimony from witnesses is expected to begin.
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