Indonesian Court Orders Public Caning for Two Men Found Guilty of Affection
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia – August 12, 2025: In Aceh, Indonesia, a court just gave two guys a sentence of public caning because they were caught kissing and hugging. This shows how strict the area is about its Islamic law. The Sharia Court said the men, MA (25) and ZA (26), would each get 30 lashes. Rights groups are mad and say this shows how serious Aceh is about its own laws, which make same-sex stuff and immoral affection illegal.
What went down?
The guys got busted on June 28, 2025, after people told the Syariah police they were hugging at home in Banda Aceh. The court said they broke Article 63 of Aceh’s Islamic rules, which bans unnatural relations and sexual acts.
They’ll get caned in public in Banda Aceh soon. Officials claim it will scare others and prove Aceh is serious about religion. This is a big punishment since Aceh made these rules back in 2014.
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Why Aceh Does Its Own Thing
Aceh is the only part of Indonesia allowed to use Islamic law. They got this chance in 2001 when they made peace to stop fighting with the government. So, Aceh’s laws are different from the rest of Indonesia.
People keep saying Aceh’s rules are bad because they ban things such as gambling, drinking, messing around, and being homosexual. They cane people for doing these things, which rights groups say is cruel.
People are worried about rights.
Amnesty International Indonesia is angry about the caning sentence. They say that it is a cruel and discriminatory punishment that goes against what the world says is right. They want Indonesia to step in and tell Aceh to trash its criminal code.
This trial also shows how hard it is to be LGBTQ+ in Indonesia. Even though it’s not illegal nationally, people are giving the LGBTQ+ community a hard time. Aceh’s caning is seen as a really bad sign, making things scary for those people.
How People Reacted
Some people in Aceh and religious leaders are all for the caning because they want to keep moral values up. But others in Indonesia and online are saying it’s an old-fashioned and cruel way to punish people.
This adds to people checking out Indonesia’s human rights record. Because Indonesia is on the United Nations Human Rights Council, there’s pressure to settle its national laws with what Aceh is doing. The government doesn’t want to get in Aceh’s way, but people might begin to ask for the same rules everywhere after this case.
What’s Up with Caning?
Caning is normal in Aceh, but it’s not liked by many. Someone called a jilid does it with a stick in front of people. They do it by a mosque or in a public spot for show.
The UN says caning is torture. Aceh says it’s allowed to put its Islamic laws into place. The caning of MA and ZA solidifies Aceh’s isolation on this issue.
MA and ZA are going to be embarrassed and feel pain, and it shows how different the laws are in Indonesia. People are saying the court’s choice is bad for rights and could hurt Indonesia’s name and the safety of some people there.
