RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Various groups and institutions have condemned the acid attack on Andrie Yunus, a member of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), which occurred in Jakarta on Thursday, March 12, 2026. One of them was the country’s National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), as conveyed by its chairperson, Anis Hidayah.

Anis stated that the attack was an assault on human rights and democracy. She called for stricter regulations to protect human rights activists in Indonesia, thus preventing similar incidents from happening again.

"As Komnas HAM stated a few days ago, the attack on Andrie Yunus is a form of attack against human rights defenders in Indonesia and also an attack on democracy. This is because Andrie Yunus’ activities so far have involved advocacy efforts, pushing for the enforcement of human rights in Indonesia to function more effectively," Anis said.

"Therefore, his activity background is strongly suspected to be one of the reasons he experienced the attack, as he is a human rights defender," she said.

Anis added that the commission has begun its own independent investigation into the case "since the early times". They want to ensure that the disclosure follows human rights principles and that the police work scientifically.

"Of course, the recovery process for the victim must also be carried out optimally and comprehensively, because the impact of the acid attack has affected nearly 24% of the victim’s body physically,” she said.

The acid attack has caught the attention of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, as quoted from the office's X account, is "deeply concerned" by the "horrific" attack.

"Those responsible for this cowardly act of violence must be held to account. HRDs must be protected in their vital work & able to raise without fear issues of public concern," Türk said.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday said he had received instructions from President Prabowo Subianto to investigate the perpetrators of the attack professionally and transparently. So far, two witnesses have been questioned in connection with the case.