Two men were publicly caned in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday after being convicted by an Islamic Shariah court of engaging in homosexual acts, The Associated Press reports.
The caning, witnessed by dozens in Banda Aceh’s Bustanussalatin city park, marks the fourth instance of such punishment for homosexuality in the region since the implementation of Shariah law in 2006.
The two men, aged 24 and 18, were each lashed dozens of times on their backs by a team of five hooded enforcers. The process was paused after 20 strokes to allow the men to drink and receive medical treatment for their wounds.
Their arrest occurred in November after residents, reportedly suspicious of their sexual orientation, broke into their rented room and found them unclothed and embracing. They were subsequently handed over to Sharia police.
A Shariah court on Monday sentenced the two college students to 85 and 80 strokes respectively. However, the penalties were reduced to 82 and 77 strokes to account for time already served in prison. After the final lash, one of the men was reportedly so weakened he had to be carried away.
Alongside the homosexuality convictions, two other individuals were sentenced to 34 and 8 strokes respectively for gambling offenses.
Aceh, the only province in Indonesia to enforce Shariah law, was granted the right to do so by the secular central government in 2006 as part of a peace agreement to end a decades-long separatist conflict. This agreement led to the establishment of a religious police and court system, significantly strengthening Shariah law in the region.
In 2015, Aceh expanded its Islamic bylaws and criminal code, extending Shariah law even to the province’s non-Muslim population, which comprises some 1% of the residents. The region now allows for up to 100 lashes for morality offenses, including same-sex relations and premarital sex.
Caning is also a common punishment in Aceh for other infractions, such as gambling, alcohol consumption, immodest dress for women, and absenteeism from Friday prayers.
The implementation and enforcement of Shariah law in Aceh have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations, who argue that the practice violates international treaties signed by Indonesia that are meant to protect the rights of minorities.
While Indonesia’s national criminal code does not address homosexuality, and the central government lacks the authority to overturn Shariah law in Aceh, past interventions have occurred. An earlier version of the law calling for stoning adulterers was dropped due to pressure from the central government.
