A woman has collapsed after being publicly caned for having sex outside marriage in Indonesia’s Aceh province, where Islamic Sharia law is enforced, while a man punished for adultery was also seen struggling with pain following the flogging. According to the Daily Mail, photographs from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital,…...
A woman has collapsed after being publicly caned for having sex outside marriage in Indonesia’s Aceh province, where Islamic Sharia law is enforced, while a man punished for adultery was also seen struggling with pain following the flogging.
According to the Daily Mail, photographs from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, showed medical personnel and Sharia officers surrounding the woman after she received her punishment. The incident occurred during a public caning exercise involving eight people sentenced by the Banda Aceh Syar’iyah Court for violating various Islamic laws.
The woman was punished for having sex outside marriage, an offence that can attract up to 100 lashes under the province’s Sharia regulations. A man punished for adultery was also seen on his knees following his flogging.
The punishments took place on a public stage in the city, where a small crowd gathered to watch the proceedings.
The officers responsible for administering the punishment, known locally as algojos, use rattan canes to flog offenders in the presence of Islamic court officials and members of the public.
The officers typically wear dark robes covering their bodies and cloaks concealing their faces to maintain anonymity while carrying out the punishments.
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Caning is prescribed for several offences in Aceh, including gambling, alcohol consumption, homosexual acts and sexual relations outside marriage.
The public nature of the punishment is intended not only to inflict physical pain but also to shame those found guilty of violating Sharia law.
Offenders have been known to faint during or after the proceedings, with photographs and videos sometimes showing them being carried away on stretchers. The punishments are frequently held outside mosques or in public squares, where spectators watch and record the events on their mobile phones.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised the practice, arguing that public flogging amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and can cause lasting psychological harm.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned caning in Aceh, saying it violates Indonesia’s constitutional protections and its obligations under international human rights law.
Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, previously questioned whether certain conduct justified such severe punishment.
“Such behaviour might be considered inappropriate because social media is viewed by people of various age groups, including children.
“But is it a crime that warrants imprisonment or even caning? That would be excessive.”
Amnesty International has also stated: “Caning contravenes Indonesia’s constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards.
“It constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and other international covenants, to which Indonesia is a State Party.”
However, local officials have defended the practice as a deterrent against violations of Islamic law and an important part of Aceh’s religious and cultural identity. The practice also has considerable support among the province’s predominantly Muslim population.
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and officially recognises six religions, alongside indigenous beliefs.
Although more than 90 per cent of Indonesia’s population identifies as Muslim, most Muslims in the country practise their faith outside the strict legal framework applied in Aceh.
Sharia law was introduced in Aceh in 2002, with additional provisions adopted the following year, after the province received special autonomy in 2001. The arrangement was part of efforts by the central government to address a long-running separatist insurgency.
Under the agreement, Aceh became the only Indonesian province permitted to implement Islamic Sharia law as part of its legal system.
Among the restrictions introduced in 2003 was a prohibition on being alone with a member of the opposite sex who is neither a spouse nor a relative.
The regulations also prescribe punishments for sexual offences, adultery, sexual relations involving unmarried people and underage sex, as well as certain displays of affection.
Religious police in Aceh have also been reported to target Muslim women who do not wear headscarves or who wear tight-fitting clothing, alongside people accused of drinking alcohol or gambling.
Critics say the enforcement of the regulations has resulted in severe physical punishment and public humiliation for a range of offences, raising concerns about individual freedoms and human rights.
Over the past decade, Indonesia’s central government has devolved more powers to regional authorities as part of efforts to expand local autonomy and accelerate development.
In 2018, Aceh began consulting the public on a proposal to introduce beheading as a punishment. However, Indonesia’s central government warned that such a measure would not be permitted under national law.