A court in Indonesia’s Aceh province sentenced two men to public flogging on Monday after finding them guilty of engaging in same-sex relations, an official confirmed.
While same-sex relations are not illegal in most of Indonesia, Aceh enforces Sharia law, which criminalizes such acts.
The two men, both university students, were discovered together in a rented room in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, last November after locals raided the premises. They were then handed over to the Sharia police.
Alfian, a public prosecutor at Banda Aceh District Court, stated that the judges sentenced one of the men, identified as AI, to 85 lashes, while the other, DA, received 80 lashes. AI was given a harsher penalty because he had rented the room and was considered to have initiated the act, Alfian explained.
Public flogging is a common punishment in Aceh for various offenses, including gambling, alcohol consumption, and adultery. The prosecutor noted that the punishment could be carried out either before or after the upcoming Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned public caning as inhumane, but it remains widely supported by the local population.
Aceh has enforced Islamic law since 2001, following a special autonomy agreement with Indonesia’s central government aimed at ending a long-running separatist conflict. In recent years, several individuals have faced public flogging for offenses under Sharia law, including same-sex relations and online gambling.
