Four Indonesian soldiers are detained over a horrific acid attack on a prominent rights activist who criticised the military’s growing political role.
JAKARTA: The Indonesian military has detained four soldiers suspected of involvement in a brutal acid attack that severely injured a prominent human rights activist critical of the armed forces’ expanding political influence.
Military police commander Yusri Nuryanto confirmed the detention of four soldiers from the armed forces’ intelligence unit on Wednesday, citing “some irregularities” uncovered during an internal investigation into the assault.
The victim, KontraS rights group deputy coordinator Andrie Yunus, was riding a motorbike last week when he was approached by two men on a scooter, one of whom threw acid at him.
Yunus sustained serious injuries to his face, an eye, his hands and his torso from the horrific attack.
Commander Yusri stated that the soldiers, identified by their initials NDP, SL, BHW and ES, will be held at a maximum security facility in Jakarta while the investigation into their motives continues.
Separately, Jakarta police released CCTV footage on Wednesday showing the faces of two other suspects in the attack, identified by the initials BHC and MAK, though their connection to the four detained soldiers remains unclear.
Police official Iman Imanuddin said authorities would corroborate their findings with the armed forces investigation into the military detentions.
Analysis of CCTV footage released earlier indicated that four suspects on two scooters had followed Andrie Yunus before carrying out the attack.
Yunus had been a vocal critic of efforts to increase the military’s influence within the Indonesian government and had just finished recording a podcast on the topic when he was assaulted.
UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed being “deeply concerned” by the attack last week, calling for full accountability for the perpetrators.
Human Rights Watch has stated that Indonesia “has undergone further democratic backsliding, crackdowns on protests, media censorship, and intimidation of activists” under President Prabowo Subianto, a former general who took office in 2024.
