Activists held a solidarity prayer for Andrie Yunus and raised posters outside the National Human Rights Commission office in Jakarta on Tuesday, March 17. (ANTARA)
At least four Indonesian navy and air force personnel were detained by the military police following the acid attack on human rights activist Andrie Yunus, from the CSO Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), on March 12. As a response, the Indonesian Armed Forces stated on March 18 that four suspects will be undergoing interrogation over their alleged involvement and would be held in the super-maximum security detention facility.
The preliminary case prove suggests that the four suspects are originally from the Indonesian National Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency Headquarters Detachment.
Furthermore, the military police will be conducting a thorough investigation into the main evidence, particularly the visum et repertum process. “We will conduct a police report, possibly from the victim’s witness. Then, temporarily detain the four suspects,” the Commander of the TNI Military Police Centre stated.
The Indonesian military said that it will conduct legal proceedings against the four suspects using military judicial mechanisms. This means that the suspects will face court martial.
Meanwhile, Jakarta’s regional police have gathered statements from witnesses who witnessed the incident. The police also said that they were looking for links between evidence found at the crime scene and the route they took before and after the attack.
However, the case drew attention from the civil society organisations, with one key criticism being that the legal process in the military realm lacks transparency and legal certainty.
Moreover, some fear that the intellectual actors and main perpetrators will not be punished if the trial is held within the military institution. To ensure clarity, the coalition pushes for the formation of an independent fact-finding body.
This case has several irregularities, mainly the inconsistent naming of alleged suspects, as the Armed Forces and Police have published different names of the suspects.
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