Novel Baswedan Acid Attack, Human Rights Group Finds New Leads

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The national commission on human rights (Komnas HAM) monitoring team claimed that it has uncovered a new crucial finding related to the acid attack against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan.

“This is a crucially important finding for the Komnas HAM monitoring team, there are several things that we cannot yet (share with the public),” said the head of the Komnas HAM monitoring team Sandrayati Moniaga on Tuesday, May 19.

The Komnas HAM formed the monitoring team to handle the acid attack case since March 8, 2018, following a stagnant official police investigation. The team mainly monitors factors that hampers the official investigation and provides recommendations to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and police to help solve the case.

Furthermore, Sandrayati is eyeing to finalize the recommendation as early as August and hopes that it would help accelerate the investigation process.

“We truly hope that it will be finalized in early August or September,” Said Sandrayati.

As reported in numerous news reports, Novel Baswedan was attacked with liquid acid early morning on April 2017 on his walk back home from praying at a nearby Mosque that was just seven houses away from his house.

The corrosive liquid eventually damaged 95 percent of Novel Baswedan’s left eye and forced him to undergo several surgeries that were conducted in Singapore.

Driven by his suspicion, Novel Baswedan has openly claimed numerous times that the investigation upon his case is being intentionally hampered by several individuals.

M ROSSENO AJI