Coordinating Minister Yusril: Andrie Yunus Case Verdict Is a Sign of Judicial Independence

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra assessed the prison sentence for four TNI personnel related to the alleged Andrie Yunus torture case as a manifestation of judicial independence.

Independence, said Yusril, is primarily in enforcing the law based on various facts revealed in the trial without intervention from any party.

"The government fully respects the verdict that has been handed down by the panel of judges," said Yusril as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 10.

In the case of alleged abuse of Andrie, there were four defendants who had been sentenced to prison terms of one year and six months to three years in prison.

The four defendants, namely Sergeant Two Edi Sudarko for three years in prison, Lieutenant One (Lettu) Budhi Hariyanto Widhi for two years and six months in prison, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya for two years in prison, and Lettu Sami Lakka for one year and six months in prison.

In addition to being sentenced to imprisonment, specifically Edi and Budhi, each was sentenced to additional punishment in the form of dismissal from military service.

Yusril argues that the legal considerations used by the panel of judges in passing judgment on the defendants show a careful assessment of the level of involvement and the mistakes of each defendant.

Therefore, he appreciates the decision of the panel of judges who imposed varying sentences by considering the demands of the military oditur, according to the severity and lightness of the defendants' mistakes.

In fact, he continued, there was a decision that was ultra petita or exceeded the demands, namely to impose a three-year prison sentence on one of the defendants, namely initially the fourth defendant's demand for each of them for two years and six months.

"This is important so that it becomes a lesson for other TNI soldiers not to repeat similar criminal acts," he said.

In this case, the four TNI personnel were proven to have poured hard water on Andrie with the aim of giving lessons and "deterrent effect" so as not to slander the TNI institution.

The attitude of Andrie, which the defendants considered to have harassed the TNI institution, occurred on March 16, 2025 when the activist of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) forced to enter and interrupt the meeting to revise the TNI Law in Jakarta.

Another attitude that made the defendants angry was when Andrie sued the TNI Law to the Constitutional Court (MK), accusing the TNI of intimidating or committing terror at the KontraS office, and being the mastermind or actor of the riots in late August 2025 and actively launching anti-militarism narratives.

Thus, the actions of the TNI personnel, who had planned to spray Andrie with hard water, where it was known that the chemical liquid could cause severe burns, were actions that TNI members were not fit to do.

For their actions, the four defendants were found guilty of violating Article 467 paragraph (1) jo. Article 20 letter C of the National Criminal Code (KUHP).