Two men were publicly caned 76 times each in the conservative Aceh region of Indonesia on Tuesday after being found guilty of engaging in same-sex relations, according to local authorities.
Same-sex activity is banned in Aceh, which enforces strict Sharia law, though it is not considered a crime in other parts of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.
The two men were among ten individuals punished on the same day at a public park in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, for various offenses. AFP reporters at the scene said the men were caned separately with rattan sticks in front of a small crowd.
Roslina A. Djalil, head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia Law Enforcement, said the original sentence was 80 lashes each, but it was reduced by four lashes per person because they had already spent four months in detention.
Police reportedly found the men in April at the same park, allegedly in a public restroom, when members of the public noticed suspicious behavior and reported them.
Amnesty International condemned the punishment. Montse Ferrer, Amnesty’s regional research director, said in a statement: “Criminalizing same-sex relations should have no place in a just and humane society.”
On the same day, three women and five men were also caned for offenses including extramarital sex, being alone with a non-relative, and online gambling.
Public caning continues to receive strong support in Aceh and is commonly imposed for offenses such as alcohol consumption and adultery.
Aceh implemented Sharia law after being granted special autonomy in 2001 as part of Jakarta’s efforts to end a long-running separatist conflict.
