An Islamic Shariah court in Indonesia’s Aceh province sentenced two young men to 80 lashes each on Monday after convicting them of engaging in same-sex acts, which the court deemed to be a violation of Shariah law.
The sentencing took place at the Shariah District Court in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, following a closed-door trial. Judges restricted public access due to the case’s nature, which involved alleged adultery.
The two men, aged 20 and 21, were arrested in April after local residents saw them entering the same public bathroom in Taman Sari city park and alerted the Islamic religious police. Officers reportedly found the pair kissing and hugging—actions the court interpreted as sexual acts under Aceh’s Islamic criminal code.
Aceh, the only Indonesian province authorized to implement Islamic Shariah law, enforces religious-based punishments, including public caning, for offenses such as adultery, gambling, alcohol consumption, and same-sex relations. The law was introduced in 2015 as part of a peace deal with former separatist rebels.
This is the fifth case in which Aceh has sentenced individuals to public caning for homosexuality since the Shariah law came into effect.
While homosexuality is not illegal under Indonesia’s national criminal code, Aceh’s special autonomy status allows it to apply religious law independently. The central government in Jakarta does not have the authority to override Shariah decisions in the province.
Human rights groups have consistently condemned such punishments, calling them a violation of international human rights standards and urging the Indonesian government to end discriminatory practices against the LGBTQ+ community.