Why Andrie Yunus' Attackers Must Be Apprehended Quickly

March 17, 2026 | 11:24 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The legal team representing Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of KontraS, is urging police to expedite the investigation into the acid attack he suffered on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

Speaking on Monday, March 16, 2026, Afif Abdul Qoyim from the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) said authorities must arrest the perpetrators within a week. “The slower the legal process, the greater the risk of evidence being lost or damaged,” Afif said.

Another TAUD lawyer, Alghiffari Aqsa, said the police could employ modern investigative methods to speed up the case. “We are optimistic the perpetrators will be identified in less than seven days,” he said.

Alghiffari suggested authorities use cell tower dump technology to track the perpetrators’ phone signals. “For instance, if someone was monitoring Andrie near LBH at 23:00, the number can be traced,” he explained.

This method was successfully used to apprehend the attackers in the 2017 acid attack on former KPK investigator Novel Baswedan. Alghiffari also noted that investigators could now rely on facial recognition technology thanks to improved CCTV footage. “Unlike in 2017, the recordings today are much clearer,” he said.

Jane Rosalina, Head of KontraS’ Impunity Monitoring Division, stressed the seriousness of the attack. “What Andrie Yunus experienced is not just an ordinary criminal act, but may also qualify as an alleged human rights violation,” she said.

Police reports indicate that four suspects were allegedly planning the attack. Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, Director of General Crimes Detective at Polda Metro Jaya, said the suspects had been tracking Andrie’s movements prior to the assault.

Investigators are examining multiple pieces of evidence, including helmets and containers suspected to have been used to carry the acid.

“We are conducting forensic laboratory tests on these items,” Iman said. The police have also collected footage from 86 CCTV cameras along the route Andrie traveled.

The attack occurred on Jalan Salemba I-Talang, Central Jakarta, when two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle approached Andrie from the opposite direction and splashed him with acid.

Annisa Febiola contributed to the writing of this article.

Read: Jakarta Hospital Details Andrie Yunus' Condition After Acid Attack

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