Jakarta – The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) says that the trial hearing a case against four Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers over their involvement in an acid attack on Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus reinforces the view that military justice is full of theatre.
TAUD made this statement after the Jakarta II-08 Military Court heard testimony from five witnesses from within the TNI during a hearing on Wednesday May 6.
"The hearing process on May 6, 2026, demonstrated our assertion that military justice is a trial process full of theatre and a drama that will not bring truth and justice to the victim, Andrie Yunus", TAUD stated in a press release handed out by Kontras and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) on Thursday May 7.
TAUD touched on the fact that it was revealed during the hearing that the four TNI defendants had not yet been dismissed from the military. According to TAUD, the dismissal process should have taken place first as part of the institution's firm efforts and the impartiality of the ongoing legal process.
"The absence of dismissal shows an intention to 'protect' the perpetrators", TAUD said.
TAUD also criticised the military court's panel of judges, which was far from impartial and did not side with the victim.
According to TAUD, the judges' statements about the choice of the acid container, actions that were rash and considered "a joke", showed a conflict of interest because the legal process was conducted internally.
On this issue, TAUD is of the view there will be no firm, dignified or just legal process if the logic of the panel of judges does not emphasise the importance on the victim and only adheres to the esprit de corps to protect the institution.
TAUD also criticised the panel of judges for continuing to demand testimony from Yunus as the victim.
"In this case, we firmly reiterate that the process of summoning a witness, the victim namely Andrie Yunus with the threat of criminal charges, was not done carefully", explained TAUD.
During the formal investigation process, Yunus was never questioned by the military prosecutor's office (Oditurat) during the criminal investigation and inquiry. Moreover, the prosecutor's office statement when handing over the case files that there was no need for Yunus to testify as a victim shows a contradiction (a contrario) with the trial process that is currently underway.
"The military court should have firmly rejected the case files at the outset, deeming them flawed and inadequate, instead of resorting to showing off by threatening Andrie Yunus with criminal charges because he was considered uncooperative", said TAUD.
"Furthermore, since the start of the criminal investigation and inquiry by the Indonesian Military Police (POM TNI) there has never been any communication with Andrie Yunus' attorney namely TAUD", they continued.
TAUD also questioned the miliary prosecutor's action of only summoning the commander of the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) Headquarters Detachment (Dandenma), Infantry Colonel Heri Haryadi.
Yet a clarification by former BAIS head General Yudi Abrimantyo, who on March 25 relinquished his position as part of his responsibility for the crimes committed by his subordinates, was very much needed.
"We believe this situation is clear evidence of that there is no courage in the military court forum to uncover [the truth behind] this incident transparently and openly", asserted TAUD.
"The principle of equality before the law does not apply because it is held hostage by the rank structure and esprit de corps culture which results in this incident only set a precedent for other incidents in the future", they continued.
In addition to this, TAUD added that the [lack of] impartiality of the panel of judges was increasingly apparent as they made no attempt to refute the construction and use of the assault article put forward by the military police and the military prosecutor.
In this regard, TAUD said that the perpetrator's actions against Yunus constituted an act of violent terror and attempted premeditated murder, which warrants a much higher sentence.
"There is no thorough analysis of the facts of the incident as well as the gestures of the panel of judges as if they are biased in protecting the institution further emphasises the deep-rooted problem of impunity within the military justice system", they asserted.
TAUD also highlighted the fact that the four TNI soldiers were not on duty when Yunus interrupted a closed-door meeting discussing revisions to the TNI Law at the Fairmont Hotel in between House of Representatives (DPR) members and the TNI in March 2025.
"This fact further demonstrates that there are irregularities in the motives presented by the Oditur during the first hearing on April 29, 2026, then because there is no direct correlation between the actions carried out by Andrie Yunus and the four defendants' statements regarding a personal grudge", concluded TAUD.
Four TNI soldiers have been indicted for dousing Yunus with acid on the night of March 12. They are Sergeant Second Class Edi Sudarko, Lieutenant First Class Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo and Lieutenant First Class Sami Lakka.
The motive, according to the military prosecutor, was that the defendants had a grudge against Yunus who succeeded in interrupting the meeting discussing revisions to the TNI Law at the Fairmont Hotel in South Jakarta.
"Because of this incident, the defendants believed that Andrie Yunus had insulted and even trampled on the TNI as an institution", the prosecutor stated while reading the indictment at the previous hearing.
The defendants are charged with violating Article 469 paragraph 1, subsidiary to Article 468 paragraph 1, subsidiary to Article 467 paragraph 1 in conjunction with paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1/2023 on the Criminal Code (KUHP). (ryn/dal)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "TAUD: Sidang Peradilan Militer Kasus Air Keras Andrie Penuh Sandiwara".]