Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – The East Java Regional Police have identified nine suspects in the arson attack on the Grahadi Building in Surabaya that occurred during protests at the end of August 2025. According to East Java Regional Police's Head of Public Relations, Commissioner Jules Abraham Abast, the protest, which had initially been peaceful, escalated into vandalism and arson.
Jules emphasized that the police have distinguished between the demonstrators and the perpetrators of the violence. "We stress that the police handling is related to the troublemakers," he said in an official statement on Saturday, September 6, 2025.
He explained that the suspects were involved in throwing Molotov cocktails at the State Grahadi Building in Surabaya, which caused a fire. "This is purely a criminal act and not part of expressing aspirations," Jules stated.
Suspects and their roles
Of the nine suspects, one, identified as AEP (20 years old), is a resident of Central Maluku living in Sidoarjo. The other eight suspects are minors, also known as children in conflict with the law (ABH).
Jules said that "suspect AEP was involved in making five Molotov cocktails from beer bottles with four ABH perpetrators and also acted as the one who threw them at the Grahadi Building."
The minors' roles varied, from organizing the demonstration via WhatsApp groups to preparing fuel, making Molotov cocktails, throwing stones, and even looting iron materials from the building.
Evidence confiscated from the suspects included their clothing, the beer bottles used for the Molotov cocktails, a motorcycle, and three mobile phones. The suspects have been charged under Article 187 of the Criminal Code and face a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.