A military court in Jakarta has opened the trial of four Indonesian soldiers accused of carrying out an acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus, who campaigned against the growing role of the armed forces in government.

Military prosecutors charged the group with serious meditated assault, carrying a maximum sentence of 12 years. The defendants, represented by military-appointed lawyers, did not dispute the indictment.

The attack occurred on March 12, when Yunus, 27, was riding a motorbike in Jakarta and two men on another bike doused him with acid. He suffered burns to over 20% of his face and body and lost sight in one eye.

All four suspects worked for the Indonesian military's Strategic Intelligence Agency, whose chief has since resigned without explanation.

Prosecutor Mohammad Iswadi stated the group was angered by Yunus's activism but acted without official orders. At the time, Yunus had just recorded a podcast criticizing the militarization of government under President Prabowo Subianto, a former general.

Rights groups have condemned the attack, warning it could intimidate critics. Indonesia's human rights commission, Komnas HAM, claims at least 14 people may be linked to the incident. The next hearing is set for May 6.

Source: www.aljazeera.com