Aceh Islamic court orders public caning for 2 men over kissing and hugging

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Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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BANDA ACEH, Indonesia. An Islamic court in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province has sentenced two men to 80 lashes each in public after they were caught kissing and hugging, which the court deemed a violation of Islamic law.

The Banda Aceh Shariah District Court issued the verdict on Monday in a closed-door trial, citing the acts as leading to gay sexual relations. The men, aged 20 and 21, were arrested in April after residents reported seeing them enter the same bathroom at Taman Sari city park. Religious police broke in and found them kissing and hugging.

Lead judge Rokhmadi M. Hum said the men were “legally and convincingly” proven guilty. Prosecutors had sought 85 lashes, but the court reduced the punishment, noting the defendants were outstanding students, cooperative, polite in court, and had no prior convictions. Their four months in detention will also reduce their sentence by four strokes.

Prosecutor Alfian expressed dissatisfaction with the lighter sentence but said he would not appeal. Aceh is the only Indonesian province authorized to enforce Islamic law, allowing up to 100 lashes for morality offenses, including same-sex acts, adultery, gambling, and drinking. The law also applies to non-Muslims.

Human rights groups have condemned the punishment, saying it violates international treaties protecting minority rights. Monday’s decision marks the fifth public caning sentence for homosexuality in Aceh since the province began enforcing Islamic law in 2015.

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Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Contributing Editor

Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor.  She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.

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