|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
BANDA ACEH — Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have condemned the public flogging of two men in Indonesia’s Aceh province after they were convicted of engaging in consensual same-sex relations under Islamic criminal law.
The men, aged 20 and 21, were each flogged 76 times in Banda Aceh on Tuesday, following a ruling by a local Sharia court. The punishment was carried out in front of spectators, some of whom reportedly recorded the event. Aceh is the only province in Indonesia with special autonomy to enforce qanun jinayat, a set of Islamic bylaws introduced in 2015 that criminalize acts such as adultery, gambling, alcohol consumption, and same-sex relations.
Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific regional research director, described the flogging as “a disturbing act of state-sanctioned discrimination and cruelty,” and called it a “horrifying reminder of the institutionalized stigma and abuse faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Aceh.”
Amnesty and other rights groups argue that such punishments violate Indonesia’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention Against Torture—both of which Indonesia has ratified. The UN Human Rights Committee has previously urged the country to prohibit corporal punishment and protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination.
Despite mounting international criticism, Aceh authorities continue to defend the enforcement of qanun jinayat as reflective of local customs and Islamic values. The central government in Jakarta has historically respected Aceh’s autonomy, though critics say this undermines constitutional protections for equality and non-discrimination.
Amnesty International has called on the Indonesian government to immediately end public caning and decriminalize consensual same-sex relations nationwide.
Excerpts sourced from reporting by Durdana Chowdhury for JURIST and verified coverage from Amnesty International and AFP.
