A court in Aceh province, Indonesia, has sentenced two men to public flogging after finding them guilty of having gay sex. This was confirmed by an official on Monday.
In Indonesia, gay sex is not illegal in most areas. However, Aceh province follows Sharia law, which bans same-sex relationships.
Last November, local residents raided a rented room in Banda Aceh, the province’s capital. They found the two men, both university students, together and reported them to the Sharia police.
“The panel of judges at the Banda Aceh Sharia Court handed out punishment for the couple who committed liwath (gay sex).
“AI (the 1st man) was sentenced to 85 strokes, while DA (2nd man) was sentenced to 80 lashes,” said Alfian, a public prosecutor at Banda Aceh District Court.
Alfian explained that AI got a heavier punishment because he rented the room and started the act.
Public flogging is a common punishment in Aceh for crimes such as gambling, drinking alcohol, and adultery. The prosecutor said the flogging might happen before or after the Islamic month of Ramadan, which starts next month.
Human rights groups have criticized public flogging as cruel, but many people in Aceh support the practice.
In 2021, another couple was flogged for having gay sex. More recently, in January, four men were lashed for online gambling, marking the first public flogging of the year.
