Four people receive 100 lashes for extramarital sex in Indonesia

In Indonesia's Aceh province, a region governed by Sharia law, four individuals received 100 lashes each on Thursday for extramarital sex. The public flogging drew a crowd, including children, who urged the authorities to "strike harder." Besides the 100 lashes, these individuals faced additional punishment for "physical intimacy" acts like hugging and kissing.

Two others were given seven lashes for being too close to each other, while one man received 20 lashes for consuming alcohol. This punishment is sanctioned in Aceh, which was granted special autonomy by Indonesia in 2005, ending a 30-year separatist insurgency. In 2002, Sharia law enforcement began, and it was further expanded in 2015 to include non-Muslims, who constitute about 1% of the province's population.

While flogging is not legal throughout Indonesia, it enjoys strong support in Aceh as a penalty for various "moral offenses." These offenses include adultery, same-sex relations, gambling, alcohol consumption, wearing tight clothing, and men not attending Friday prayers. Recently, a young couple in Aceh was each given 21 lashes for kissing during an unmarried TikTok livestream.

Eini Nadira, a 22-year-old who witnessed the flogging, expressed her approval, stating that the punishment serves as a warning to others and raises awareness about unacceptable behavior.