A man and a woman were publicly flogged in Aceh, Indonesia, on Wednesday after being found guilty of engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage, which is a violation of the province’s strict Islamic law.
They were given 100 lashes each as punishment for their misconduct, and it was carried out in a public park in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, following a verdict from a local sharia court. A female officer administered the flogging to the woman, as required under religious protocols, while a crowd watched and cheered.
Under Aceh’s autonomous legal system, which enforces sharia law, sex outside marriage is considered a criminal offense, and public caning is the punishment for it.
Though Indonesia’s national parliament passed a law in 2022 outlawing sex outside wedlock, it won’t take effect until 2026—and even then, Aceh is expected to continue with its separate religious justice system, granted under a special autonomy agreement in 2001.
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Three additional people were also punished the same day for gambling and alcohol consumption, receiving a total of 49 lashes.
“This punishment is intended to serve as a moral lesson for the community,” said Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal. “We hope it will lead to repentance and discourage others from violating religious laws.”
Medical staff were on hand during the punishment in case of emergency.
Despite international condemnation, including criticism from human rights groups, public flogging remains a routine and locally supported practice in Aceh. Offenses such as adultery, gambling, drinking, and same-sex relations are regularly prosecuted under the region’s religious laws.
Two men received over 150 lashes earlier this year after they were convicted of same-sex activity—also criminalized under Aceh’s sharia code.
Aceh continues to be the only province in Indonesia permitted to enforce Islamic law, a concession granted in 2001 as part of a peace deal to end years of separatist violence.
