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Four men were publicly flogged in Indonesia’s Aceh province after being caught gambling online, marking the first public caning of the year under the region’s strict Islamic law.
The punishment took place at a public park in Banda Aceh, where dozens of spectators watched as the men were whipped by an executioner. One man received 22 lashes, while the other three were caned eight and nine times. According to Islamic law enforcement chief Roslina, the severity of the punishment depended on their wagers and winnings. “One person received more lashes because their winnings exceeded the equivalent of two grams of gold,” she explained.
Before the flogging, an Islamic leader delivered a sermon on repentance. Photos from the event show the men grimacing in pain as their backs were struck with a cane, a common punishment in Aceh for offenses such as gambling, adultery, and alcohol consumption.
Aceh, located on the northern tip of Sumatra, is the only province in Indonesia that enforces Sharia law, which was introduced after the central government granted it special autonomy in 2001 to appease a separatist movement. Public caning remains widely supported in the region despite condemnation from human rights organizations, which argue that the practice is cruel and inhumane.
This latest round of lashings follows a series of similar punishments in recent years. In August 2024, six men were publicly flogged for online gambling, while in 2021, two Christian men were whipped 40 times for drinking alcohol and gambling—an unusual case of non-Muslims being subjected to Sharia punishments. That same year, a male couple was flogged nearly 80 times each for engaging in same-sex relations, an act considered illegal under Aceh’s Islamic law.
Amnesty International has repeatedly criticized Aceh’s public floggings, highlighting that at least 60 public canings were carried out against 254 people in 2020 alone. Despite international outcry, the local government continues to enforce these punishments, arguing that they serve as a deterrent to crime and uphold moral values.
Reports from previous years have documented cases where individuals lost consciousness during public canings due to the severity of the beatings. However, Aceh officials maintain that the practice reflects the will of the province’s predominantly Muslim population.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk
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