Acid attack victim's lawyer describes trial of perpetrators as a 'sham'

Andrie Yunus was targeted with an acid attack on the streets of Jakarta in March. (Supplied)

At 11pm on a humid Jakarta night in March, human rights activist Andrie Yunus was getting ready to head home after finishing a recording for a podcast.

The episode, which had been taped at a legal aid office in central Jakarta, was on the increasing influence of the military across Indonesia's civilian institutions, an issue the 27-year-old had been very vocal about.

Andrie walked to the car park and got on his motorcycle before joining the steady throng of traffic on Central Jakarta's streets.

Four officers from Indonesia's military intelligence unit (BAIS) were tailing him on two separate motorcycles, and one of them was concealing a tumbler filled with sulphuric acid.

Andrie continued driving for 15 minutes before they launched their attack.

One of the motorcycles broke ahead, circling back to intercept Andrie.

CCTV captured the moment the men threw the acid over Andrie.

He did not immediately react, instead travelling a few seconds before he pulled over to the side of the road and dropped his bike.

In the video, he can be heard screaming in agony and is seen clawing at his clothes.

Concerned bystanders raced over to help, and a crowd formed as Andrie screamed in pain.

He was later diagnosed with second, and third degree burns across one-quarter of his body, including his face, neck and torso.

Four Indonesian officers have been arrested and detained over an acid attack on human rights campaigner Andrie Yunus in Jakarta.

Several months after the attack, Andrie is still too weak to give interviews. He has been permanently disfigured, lost vision in his right eye and is undergoing repeated treatment and surgery in a Jakarta hospital.

The attack has now become a flashpoint for Indonesia's civil society, with local human rights organisations calling the incident an assault on democracy and human rights defenders.

Four military intelligence officers have since been charged and are now on trial by a military court.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of two and a half years in prison, but Andrie's legal team has already described the case as a "sham" and a "charade".

Since graduating law school in 2022, Andrie worked as the deputy head of human rights NGO, KontraS — the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence.

The organisation's coordinator, Dimas Bagus Arya, said Andrie was deeply interested in reform of Indonesia's military.

Dimas Bagus Arya was shocked by the attack on Andrie. (ABC News: Tim Swanston)

"He chose to focus on issues