Two young men, aged 20 and 21, who were detained in Taman Sari city park in April, were reported to the Sharia police by local residents after they were seen entering the same restroom. The police caught the pair kissing and hugging in the restroom and referred them to court. The court classified these actions as "sexual relations" and sentenced each of them to 80 lashes.
Despite Indonesia's majority-Muslim population, the Aceh province has been the only region to implement Sharia law since 2015. This is seen as a concession granted by the central government to end a years-long separatist insurgency. Homosexuality is not considered a crime under the country's national criminal code, and the central government does not have the authority to repeal these laws in Aceh.
PREVIOUS WHIPPING SENTENCES
This incident, which is the fifth public whipping sentence for homosexuality in Aceh since 2015, demonstrates that these practices continue in the region. In February, two men were subjected to a similar punishment in a public park in Banda Aceh. The sentences were carried out as 82 and 77 lashes, respectively, with a "good conduct" reduction.
Amnesty International describes these punishments as "horrific discrimination." The organization's deputy regional director, Montse Ferrer, stated, "Consensual sexual relations should never be criminalized. No one should be punished for their actual or perceived sexual orientation."
News Source: 12punto
