Law

Brigadier J Lawyer Kamaruddin Simanjuntak Passes Away

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 19, 2026•3 min read

Kamaruddin Simanjuntak, attorney for Brigadier J's family in the Ferdy Sambo murder case, died Monday (10/19/2026) at Pelni Hospital, Jakarta, aged 52.

Key Facts

Kamaruddin Simanjuntak meninggal dunia pada Senin (19/10/2026) sekitar pukul 03.00 WIB di RS Pelni, Jakarta, dalam usia 52 tahun.
Kabar duka dikonfirmasi oleh rekan sesama advokat, Martin Lukas Simanjuntak, dan dibenarkan oleh advokat Poltak Silitonga.
Almarhum menderita gangguan ginjal dan rutin menjalani cuci darah selama bertahun-tahun; menurut Poltak Silitonga, frekuensinya mencapai tiga kali sepekan.
Istri almarhum, Joanita Meroline Wenji, menyebut suaminya bolak-balik rumah sakit sejak Februari 2026, sempat menggunakan kursi roda, didiagnosis infeksi paru-paru, dan mengalami penurunan saturasi oksigen.
Jenazah disemayamkan di Rumah Duka Tabitha Ukrida, Jakarta Barat; jadwal dan lokasi pemakaman masih menunggu keputusan keluarga.
Kamaruddin dikenal luas sebagai kuasa hukum keluarga Brigadir Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat dalam kasus pembunuhan oleh Ferdy Sambo pada 2022; ia vokal mendorong autopsi ulang jenazah Brigadir J.

Mourning in Indonesia's Legal Community

Indonesia's legal community is in mourning. Attorney Kamaruddin Simanjuntak passed away on Monday (10/19/2026) at around 03:00 WIB (Western Indonesian Time) at Pelni Hospital (RS Pelni), Jakarta. He died at the age of 52 following a multi-year battle with kidney disease.

The sorrowful news was confirmed by fellow attorney Martin Lukas Simanjuntak. 'Shalom, it is true he has returned to the Father's home in heaven early this morning at 03:00 WIB,' Martin told reporters on Monday morning. The news was also corroborated by lawyer Poltak Silitonga.

Years of Routine Dialysis

In recent years, Kamaruddin's health had progressively deteriorated. He was diagnosed with kidney failure and required regular dialysis. Poltak Silitonga noted that the late attorney underwent dialysis treatments up to three times a week.

His widow, Joanita Meroline Wenji, revealed that her husband had been in and out of the hospital since February 2026 and had at times used a wheelchair. During his final hospitalization, Kamaruddin was diagnosed with a lung infection accompanied by falling oxygen saturation levels.

'For the past two years, he started dialysis because of sheer exhaustion. He barely rested; when defending clients, he truly worked even on Sundays,' Joanita told Kompas.com at the Ukrida Hospital Funeral Home in West Jakarta on Monday (10/19/2026).

Laid in Repose at Ukrida, Brigadier J's Family Mourns

Kamaruddin's body is lying in repose at the Tabitha Ukrida Funeral Home and Crematorium in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. Family members and colleagues arrived to convey their condolences. As of Monday afternoon, the funeral schedule and burial site have not been officially announced, pending a family decision.

The family of Brigadier J also expressed deep grief. Roslin Emika Br Simanjuntak, a relative of the late Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, shared her heartfelt condolences in a post on her Facebook account, honoring Kamaruddin's tireless dedication and sacrifices in fighting for justice on behalf of Yosua's family.

A Vocal Figure in the Sambo Murder Case

Kamaruddin Simanjuntak gained nationwide prominence in 2022 when he represented the family of Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua HutabaratΓÇöwidely known as Brigadier JΓÇöin the high-profile murder trial that implicated Ferdy Sambo, the former Head of the National Police's Internal Affairs Division (Kadiv Propam Polri). Kamaruddin was renowned for vocally exposing irregularities surrounding Brigadier J's death and aggressively pushing for an independent re-autopsy.

Prior to the Sambo trial, Kamaruddin had handled several major cases, including the Hambalang Athletes' Village corruption scandal, the electronic national identity card (e-KTP) corruption case, and the blasphemy case involving M. Kece. A 2004 law graduate of the Christian University of Indonesia (Universitas Kristen Indonesia / UKI), he founded Victoria Law Firm and had been an active member of professional bar associations since 2007.