In Indonesia, a couple were punished with a public beating for kissing on TikTok
This is according to The Guardian.
The video formed the basis for criminal proceedings
The couple were arrested in April after a live video, recorded in late February, went viral on social media. In the video, the young people were seen kissing in a car, prompting complaints to the local authorities responsible for enforcing Sharia law.
The court found them guilty of having a relationship outside marriage and sentenced each to 25 strokes with a rattan cane. The number of strokes was subsequently reduced to 21, taking into account the time the defendants had already spent in custody.
The punishment was carried out in public
The sentence was carried out in Bustanussalatine City Park in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. According to local media reports, over a hundred people witnessed the procedure.
Following the conclusion of the trial, an order was also issued to destroy the mobile phone and USB stick containing the recording of the broadcast, which had been used as evidence in the case. On the same day, four other convicted individuals received similar punishments — for online gambling and adultery.
Why is this only possible in Aceh?
Aceh is the only province in Indonesia where Sharia law is in force. The region was granted this right in 2006 following the conclusion of a peace agreement that brought an end to a long-standing armed conflict.
Local laws provide for corporal punishment for a range of offences, including extramarital affairs, gambling, alcohol consumption and other breaches of moral standards.
Human rights activists have criticised the sentence
Amnesty International Indonesia stated that public flogging contravenes international human rights standards and is cruel and degrading.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Usman Hamid, noted that even if the young people’s behaviour might have caused public outrage, such a severe punishment is disproportionate.
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