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Two men sentenced to 85 strokes for gay sex in Aceh
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A man is punished with a public caning for violating Aceh's Islamic bylaws, locally known as Qanun in Banda Aceh on Tuesday. The man is one of 18 convicts, who were sentenced for gambling, consuming liquor, and dating. (Antara/Irwansyah Putra)
Gay couple first to be charged with homosexuality in Aceh Defendants not represented by lawyers, will not appeal
A sharia court in Banda Aceh has sentenced two men to 85 strokes of the cane in public after finding them guilty of homosexuality, which is a crime under the province’s sharia penal code.
The court declared the two men, identified only as MT, 23, and MH, 20, guilty of violating Article 63 (1) of Aceh Qanun Jinayat (Islamic Criminal Code Bylaw) No. 6/2014, which carries a maximum penalty of 100 strokes of the cane and a fine of 1,000 grams of gold or 100 months in prison.
“The defendants have been proven guilty of committing jarimah liat [the crime of homosexuality]. The defendants are sentenced with a punishment of caning in public with 85 strokes,” presiding judge Khairil Jamal said while reading out the verdict on Wednesday.
The defendants chose not to be represented by lawyers during the trial even though they had the right to a defense team, Khairil said.
During the trial, the two defendants hung their heads and covered their faces. When the judge asked whether the defendants accepted the verdict, the two men said they would not appeal.
The sentence delivered by the court is harsher than the prosecutor’s demand of 80 strokes each. The judge reasoned that harsher punishment was necessary because the two men’s behavior could affect other people and cause public unrest.
