FOUR Indonesian military personnel went on trial today for allegedly carrying out an acid attack on a prominent human rights activist.

Three navy marines and one air force officer, all assigned to the intelligence agency of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), are charged with serious premeditated assault over last month’s attack on Andrie Yunus, a human rights lawyer and senior activist with the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), who suffered severe injuries. The case has reignited concerns about impunity for the armed forces.

Sergeant Edi Sudarko, First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya and air force First Lieutenant Sami Lakka are facing charges which carry a potential sentence of up to 12 years in prison.

Prosecutors allege that the men acted together, but claim the motive was personal. They said the defendants had attacked Mr Yunus with acid “to teach him a lesson and deter him from making disparaging remarks about the TNI.”

Addressing the court, military prosecutor Mohammad Iswandi said: “The actions of the defendants who threw chemical liquid on Andrie Yunus, resulting in the loss of sight in his right eye and severe burns with no hope of complete recovery, were inappropriate actions for members of the TNI.”

Human rights groups criticised the personal‑motive narrative and the decision for a military court to try the case instead of a civilian one.

“This case has been narrowed to just four individuals, without transparency, while the motive is framed as personal,” said Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid.

He said there was no clear personal or professional relationship between Mr Yunus and the accused and alleged that official military assets had been used in the attack.

“It is difficult to accept that state facilities were used solely for personal revenge,” Mr Hamid said.

The defendants – two of whom sustained minor facial and eye injuries from acid splashes during the attack – did not file objections to the charges.

Mr Yunus was riding his motorcycle in central Jakarta on the evening of March 12 when assailants threw a vial of hydrochloric acid at his face. Prosecutors said he suffered chemical burns to about 20 per cent of his body and damage to roughly 40 per cent of his right cornea.

The judge adjourned the hearing until May 6.