Fact Check: Did Pro-TNI Accounts Coordinate Support in Andrie Yunus Case?

On June 12, 2026, social media discussions intensified around the Jakarta Military Court II-08 sentencing four members of Bais TNI—the Indonesian National Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency—for attacking Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS). According to Tempo.co, the court handed down prison terms ranging from 1.5 to 2 years on June 10, 2026, for the assault that caused permanent damage to the victim’s right eye.

Military Court Sentences Bais TNI Personnel for Acid Attack

The military tribunal’s verdict detailed specific roles and sentences for the four defendants involved in the March 12, 2026, attack. Second Sergeant Edi Sudarko received 3 years in prison plus dismissal from military service after splashing a chemical substance directly onto the victim’s body from the front. First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi received 2 years and 6 months in prison alongside dismissal from military service for preparing used battery acid and rust-removing solution at the Denma BAIS TNI workshop. Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetya was sentenced to 2 years in prison for tracking the victim, while First Lieutenant Sami Lakka received 1 year and 6 months in prison for monitoring and fleeing the scene with Captain Nandala.

Reactions to the verdicts divided observers. An X account, @wartawanmedia1, praised the court on June 12, 2026, claiming the sentences were harsher than those given to police officers who previously attacked former Corruption Eradication Commission investigator Novel Baswedan, and wrote that “Military courts are not a place of impunity.” Conversely, the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) and Amnesty International Indonesia criticized the prison terms as lenient and unfair given the permanent nature of the victim’s injuries.

Uncovering Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior on Social Media

An investigation by Tempo’s Fact-Checking team revealed a pro-TNI influence operation across X and TikTok between March 1 and May 27, 2026. Utilizing Brandwatch analytics, the team analyzed data using the ABCDE framework and the CIB tree with Claude AI assistance. The investigation exposed that nearly 50 percent of the accounts amplifying pro-TNI narratives were created between 2025 and 2026, with 72 accounts established just days before the operation began in March 2026.

According to the findings, the network deployed coordinated inauthentic behavior to manipulate public opinion. Following a March 18, 2026, press conference by the Indonesian Military Police Center (Puspom TNI) announcing the detention of the suspects, more than 600 tweets appeared within a 35-minute window using keywords like “TNI gercep” (rapid response). Additional surges occurred in April and May 2026, shifting narratives to emphasize institutional transparency and the legitimacy of the military trial process.

Disputes Over Judicial Authority and Future Legal Scrutiny

The handling of the case by military tribunals has drawn sharp criticism from legal and human rights defenders.