Two Men Flogged in Indonesia Over Same-Sex Relationship
Public Caning Enforced Under Sharia Law in Aceh
In a disturbing display of judicial punishment, two men were publicly caned in Indonesia’s Aceh province following a conviction for engaging in consensual same-sex relations. Witnesses, including an AFP journalist, reported that each man received 76 lashes with a rattan cane. The punishment was carried out in front of a small group of onlookers, in accordance with Aceh’s implementation of sharia law. While same-sex activity is not illegal in most of Indonesia, Aceh—due to its autonomous status—imposes Islamic law with strict penalties.
Same-Sex Relationship Leads to Arrest and Sentence
The men were arrested in April by Aceh’s Islamic morality police, responsible for enforcing religious conduct in public and private life. Authorities said the pair were caught in a public restroom located within the same park where the public flogging later occurred. Originally sentenced to 80 lashes, each punishment was reduced by four strokes, taking into account the four months they had already served in detention. They were among ten individuals publicly flogged that day in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital.
Global Human Rights Groups Decry the Punishment
The incident has drawn international condemnation, with human rights organizations calling on Indonesia to abolish such practices. Montse Ferrer, Regional Research Director for Amnesty International, denounced the public flogging, stating, “Criminalizing same-sex relationships has no place in a fair and humane society.” Amnesty labeled the punishment as cruel, inhuman, and degrading, urging Indonesian authorities to put an end to public canings and to reform laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
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