BANDA ACEH – An Islamic Sharia court in Indonesia’s Aceh province has handed down an 80-lash public caning sentence to two male college students after they were caught hugging and kissing in a public restroom.
The two students, aged 20 and 21, were apprehended in April inside a toilet stall at Taman Sari city park in Banda Aceh. Local residents, who saw them enter the bathroom together, alerted the authorities. Police later forced open the door to detain them.
Although the pair were fully clothed and not engaged in sexual intercourse, presiding judge Muhammad Nasir stated the court had “legally and convincingly” established that their actions were intended to lead to sexual activity, a violation of local morality laws.
Prosecutors initially requested a sentence of 85 lashes for each man. However, the judges reduced the penalty, citing the men’s cooperation with law enforcement, their clean criminal records, and the time they had already spent in detention since their arrest.
Sharia Law in Aceh
Under Aceh’s Sharia-based bylaws, offences related to morality—such as adultery, alcohol consumption, and gambling—carry a maximum penalty of 100 lashes. The province is the only region in Indonesia permitted to enforce Sharia law, a right granted in 2006 as part of a peace agreement to end decades of separatist conflict.
While homosexuality remains legal in the rest of Indonesia, Aceh’s strict regulations have resulted in multiple punishments for same-sex conduct. Monday’s verdict marks the fifth known case since 2015 where individuals have been sentenced for homosexual acts in the province.
Earlier this year, in February, two other men were sentenced to 85 lashes after being discovered naked together in a rented house in Banda Aceh.
