Two men in Indonesia’s Aceh province were publicly flogged 76 times each after being convicted of engaging in same-sex relations, an act prohibited under the region’s strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
According to officials, their initial punishment of 80 lashes was reduced by four, taking into account the four months they had already spent in detention.
Roslina A. Djalil, head of law enforcement for Banda Aceh’s sharia police, confirmed that the men were discovered in April after a member of the public reported suspicious activity at a park restroom. The same location later became the site of their public caning.
The incident has once again drawn international attention to Aceh’s enforcement of morality laws, which prescribe corporal punishment for acts deemed to contravene Islamic teachings, including adultery and same-sex relations.
