Gay Couple Publicly Flogged Over 80 Times In Indonesia For Same-Sex Relations, Rights Body Calls It 'Horrifying'

One man, accused of initiating the relationship, received 82 lashes, while the other was punished with 77 strokes. And, both of them were caned with a rattan stick

Representational Image | In Aceh, Indonesia, two men were publicly flogged for engaging in same-sex relations. Human rights activists condemned the punishment, which was based on Sharia law, as discriminatory against LGBTQ individuals.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

Two men were publicly flogged in the conservative Aceh province of Indonesia on Thursday following they were found guilty of sexual relations by a court operating under strict Islamic law. They were caught on 7 November 2024 by locals who coercively entered into their rented room in Banda Aceh and took them to the Sharia police for investigation.

The flogging took place in a park in Banda Aceh just before midday. One man, accused of initiating the relationship, received 82 lashes, while the other was punished with 77 strokes. And, both of them were caned with a rattan stick, according to AFP.

Authorities charged them with violating Sharia law, sparking condemnation from human rights activists, who denounced the punishment as part of ongoing discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in Indonesia.

"The intimidation, discrimination and abuses against LGBTQ individuals in Aceh are like a bottomless well. The Aceh government should learn from these mistakes and review their Islamic criminal code, "Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, told AFP.

According to a report by Independent News, Presiding judge Sakwanah ruled that the two college students were “legally and convincingly” proven to have engaged in same-sex acts, sentencing them to 85 and 80 lashes. “During the trial it was proven that the defendants committed illicit acts, including kissing and having sex,” the judge said.

“As Muslims, the defendants should uphold the Shariah law that prevails in Aceh.”

While the maximum penalty is 100 lashes, the judges imposed a lighter sentence, citing the men’s status as exemplary students, their respectful conduct in court, and their lack of prior offenses.

Prosecutors initially sought 80 strokes each, but the judges increased the older man’s sentence, arguing that he facilitated the encounter. Both the prosecution and defense accepted the ruling without appeal.

Amnesty International Calls It 'Horrifying Act Of Discrimination'

Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International labelled the punishment a "horrifying act of discrimination" against both. Deputy Regional Director Montse Ferrer said, “Indonesia’s flogging of two gay men is a horrifying act of discrimination. Intimate sexual relations between consenting adults should never be criminalised, and no one should be punished because of their real or perceived sexual orientation. Having already had their privacy brutally invaded when they were ambushed by members of the public while having sex, these men were then humiliated in public today and physically harmed."

"These flogging punishments are cruel, inhuman and degrading, and may amount to torture. Aceh and Indonesian central government authorities must take immediate action to halt these practices and revoke the bylaws that allow them to take place. Such laws must be brought in line with international human rights law and standards, and with Indonesia’s obligations under its own Constitution. Aceh’s regional autonomy, which is its basis to apply Sharia law, must not come at the expense of human rights," he added.

In 2006, Indonesia’s secular central government granted Aceh the authority to enforce Islamic Sharia law as part of a peace agreement to end a separatist conflict. Since then, a religious police force and court system have been established, significantly strengthening Sharia law in the region. More than 100 people are publicly caned each year under these laws, according to Independent News.

In 2015, Aceh expanded its Islamic regulations and criminal code to apply to non-Muslims, who make up about 1 per cent of the population. The laws permit punishments of up to 100 lashes for morality-related offenses, including same-sex relations and sex outside marriage.  

This marks the third instance of public caning for homosexuality in Aceh. Other offenses punishable by caning include gambling, alcohol consumption, women wearing tight clothing, and men failing to attend Friday prayers.  

Human rights organisations have condemned the law, arguing that it violates international treaties that Indonesia has signed to protect minority rights. While the country’s national criminal code does not criminalize homosexuality, the central government lacks the authority to overturn Sharia law in Aceh. However, earlier provisions that proposed stoning for adultery were removed due to pressure from Jakarta.