Indonesian Military Officers Sentenced in Acid Attack Case

Four members of an Indonesian military intelligence unit received prison sentences this Wednesday. Their conviction stems from an acid attack on Andrie Yunus, a human rights advocate. The military court in Jakarta, Indonesia, delivered the verdicts.

The case has drawn criticism for being handled by a military court rather than civilian judges. Human rights activists argue that this decision misses the mark in delivering justice. The sentences range from 18 months to three years, whereas the maximum penalty for such an attack could have been 12 years.

Usman Hamid, the executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, expressed strong disapproval, stating, “The verdict protects the institutional integrity of the military and shields the full chain of command and other actors potentially linked to this incident from scrutiny.” He called the trial “a blatant whitewash, which brings neither justice nor truth to Andrie Yunus.”

Mr. Andrie Yunus, aged 27, is the deputy coordinator of the well-known rights organization Kontras. In March, as he was riding his motorbike in Jakarta, an individual attacked him with acid, resulting in burns over 24 percent of his body and significant damage to his right eye.

Mr. Andrie, who remains in the hospital and has had numerous surgeries in an attempt to save his eyesight, voiced his objection to the military court’s involvement in April. He also refused to testify in the proceedings.