An Islamic court in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province has sentenced two men, aged 20 and 21, to 80 lashes of the cane each after they were found guilty of violating local Sharia law.
The two college students were arrested in April after Islamic religious police caught them hugging and kissing in a public restroom, acts the court deemed sexual.
The Shariah District Court in Banda Aceh held the trial behind closed doors, finding the two men had “legally and convincingly” committed acts that could lead to gay sexual relations.
A three-judge panel described the sentence as lenient, reducing it from the 85 strokes sought by the prosecution because the men were cooperative and had no criminal history.
The number of lashes will be further reduced to account for the four months they have already been detained.
Aceh’s Unique Legal Status
Aceh is the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia permitted to enforce a version of Islamic law, a right granted by the central government in 2006 to end a separatist conflict.
The law allows for public caning for a range of offenses, including adultery, gambling, and same-sex relations, which are not illegal under Indonesia’s national criminal code.
Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned the practice as a violation of international treaties.