Indonesia: Sharia court sentences two gay men to 85 lashes

Event

On Wednesday, May 17, a Sharia court in Aceh province sentenced two men to be publicly caned after being found guilty of violating Sharia laws against homosexuality. The two men will receive 85 lashes and the sentence will be carried out on May 23 in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. LGBT activists and international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have condemned the sentence.

Context

The two men were arrested in March after a group of vigilantes broke into the apartment they were staying in and filmed them. Aceh is the only province in the Muslim-majority country where Sharia law is in force. This is the first conviction for homosexual acts after strict laws against homosexuality were passed in 2014 and came into effect in 2015.

Advice

Individuals in Indonesia, particularly in Aceh province, are advised to maintain a low profile and to be aware of local homophobic sentiment. While foreigners are generally not targeted in the enforcement of such laws, they may be harassed or otherwise targeted and should avoid drawing undue attention to themselves.