In a public implementation of Sharia law, a man and a woman were each flogged 100 times in Indonesia’s Aceh province after being convicted of engaging in sex outside of marriage. Thepunishment, conducted in a public park in Banda Aceh, drew a crowd of spectators and was supervised by local authorities and medical personnel according to reports from AFP. The convicts were lashed in increments of ten strokes with a rattan cane. In accordance with religious protocol, a female officer administered the punishment to the woman. Medical personnel were present on site to monitor the health and safety of those being flogged.
In addition to the flogging of the couple, three other individuals received up to 49 lashes for offenses related to alcohol consumption and online gambling. “Today we are carrying out flogging punishments for perpetrators of adultery, alcohol consumption, and online gambling,” said Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal. “This becomes a moral lesson for the community. The flogging becomes a gateway to repentance.”
Aceh remains the only province in Indonesia authorized to implement Sharia law, which includes corporal punishment for moral and religious offenses such as adultery, gambling, and alcohol use. Although Indonesia passed a nationwide ban on sex outside marriage in 2022, the law is not expected to be enforced until 2025. The continuation of public flogging has sparked strong criticism from human rights organizations, who label the practice as degrading and inhumane. Nonetheless, it retains significant public support in Aceh. Similar incidents have occurred in recent months. In February, two men were flogged more than 150 times after being convicted of engaging in same-sex relations.