Two men in Indonesia were penalized just last Wednesday to 85 lashes in public because of having gay sex. But this angered a lot of rights activists since they believed that the punishment was extreme and harsh.
Moreover, the latest report also claimed that the two men arrested is the first case being punished for homosexuality in the province of Aceh in Indonesia. The arrest, as well as the punishment, is based entirely on the strict Shariah law which is considered as the legal code of Islam.
Most rights activists in Indonesia claimed that the punishment was not fair telling that it was severe and excessive. Because of this, ABC News reported that the punishment could trigger a dangerous turn of events in Aceh, Indonesia.
Reports were rife that the two men were caught naked in bed by vigilantes. When they were caught, allegedly, the two men begged the witnesses not to report the incident to the Shariah police. But the people did not listen to them; instead, the two were beaten and were later handed to the local police officers.
Since 2014, homosexuality has been regarded as illegal in Aceh, Indonesia considering that the place is also highly conservative. Even if some rights activists condemned the punishment, still the authorities and the police officers were firm in their decision and the imposition of the said punishment of 85 lashes.
According to The New York Times, this is the first time people have been punished for homosexuality in the said province. Originally, the punishment for the act and the crime was 100 lashes but the court decided to give the two men 85 lashes each since they also apologized for what they did.
Apart from Indonesia, there are also some countries which impose stringent punishment and laws for homosexuality and they even regard it as a punishable crime. In Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, homosexuality is even punishable by death. But even if that is the case, there are still other nations which implement non-discrimination laws to protect lesbians and gay men.
