After graduation, he worked as a lawyer and later joined HKBP Nommensen University as a lecturer in its newly established Faculty of Law.

[9] In 2017, Yasonna announced the creation of a National Harmony Council which would use non-judicial mechanisms to deal with past human rights abuses, prompting criticism this would restrict justice for victims and their families.

Following the criticism, Yasonna on 1 October 2019 resigned from his ministerial position, deciding to take a seat he had won in the House of Representatives in the April 2019 general election.

The Directorate General of Immigration, which is part of Yasonna's ministry, took 15 days to admit that Harun had indeed returned on 7 January.

Yasonna denied he had deliberately misled the public on the whereabouts of his fellow PDI-P member, saying: "I am a religious person.

[18] President Widodo responded to the scandal by calling on ministers to be more careful when giving statements and to cross-check their information.

[19] In response to calls by ICW for his resignation, Yasonna on 28 January 2020 fired Immigration Director General Ronny Sompie, blaming him for the misinformation.