Islamic court in Indonesia's Aceh sentences two men to public caning over sexual acts

A police officer and a prosecutor escort two men accused of having gay sex after they arrived for their sentencing hearing at the Sharia Court in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Monday, August 11, 2025. -- Photo: Reza Saifullah / AP

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP): An Islamic court in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province on Monday sentenced two men to public caning, 80 times each, after Islamic religious police caught them engaged in what the court deemed were sexual acts: hugging and kissing.

The trial at the Islamic Shariah District Court in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, was held behind closed doors. Judges have the authority to limit public access in such a case and open it only for the verdict.