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Young Indonesian couple publicly caned after kissing on TikTok
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- A young couple in Aceh, Indonesia, was publicly caned 21 times each after being convicted by a Sharia court for kissing during a TikTok livestream, an act deemed illegal under local Islamic law.
- The punishment was carried out in Banda Aceh's city park before at least 100 witnesses, with the couple initially sentenced to 25 lashes but reduced due to time already served in prison.
- Aceh is the only Indonesian province enforcing Sharia law, which includes severe penalties like caning for morality offenses such as adultery, gambling, and public displays of affection outside marriage.
- The court confiscated the couple's mobile phone and USB drive containing the TikTok video as evidence, and four others were also caned for offenses including online gambling and adultery.
- Amnesty International condemned the caning as a human rights violation, calling it cruel and excessive, especially given Indonesia's commitment to abolishing inhumane punishments under international conventions.
