Two Men Publicly Flogged 76 Times Each in Aceh for Same-Sex Relations

Two men were publicly flogged 76 times each in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province after being convicted of engaging in same-sex relations under the region's strict Islamic sharia law, which criminalizes gay sex only in Aceh and not elsewhere in Indonesia. The men were part of a group of ten individuals flogged for various offenses, including sex outside marriage, being in close proximity to members of the opposite sex, and online gambling. Their initial sentences of 80 lashes each were reduced by four to account for four months spent in detention. The men were caught in April in a public toilet in a park in Banda Aceh, where the flogging later took place. Amnesty International condemned the punishment as a violation of human rights, stating that criminalizing same-sex conduct has no place in a just and humane society. Despite international criticism, caning retains strong support among Aceh's population and the region adopted sharia law after being granted special autonomy in 2001 to quell separatist insurgency.