In Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province, two men were part of a group that faced public caning on Tuesday after an Islamic Shariah court found them guilty of breaking Islamic law by hugging and kissing, which the court stated could lead to prohibited sexual relations.
Around 100 spectators gathered to watch the caning at a stage in Bustanussalatin city park in Banda Aceh on Tuesday. The men, aged 20 and 21, were struck on their backs with a rattan cane multiple times by a group dressed in robes and hoods.
In Aceh, morality offenses such as gay sex and sex between unmarried individuals can result in up to 100 lashes. Caning is also used as punishment for gambling, drinking alcohol, women wearing tight clothing, and men who skip Friday prayers.
The court in Aceh handed down a sentence of 80 lashes each to the men after Islamic religious police reported catching them in what the court classified as sexual acts of hugging and kissing in a public park bathroom, according to court documents.
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