Banda Aceh – The prosecution in a case of a gay couple caught having sex at a boarding house in Syiah Kuala district, Banda Aceh city, has demanded that the pair be sentenced to 100 lashes. The sentence demand was read out by the public prosecutor (JPU) from the Banda Aceh District Attorney's Office (AGO) on Monday February 3.
Public prosecutor Luthan Al Kamil said the perpetrators' actions violated Aceh Qanun (bylaw) Number 6/2014 on Islamic (Jinayat) Law where the two men were caught together in a boarding room and having sex.
"The defendant's actions violated Article 63 Paragraph 1 of the Qanun Jinayat with the threat of 100 lashes or 100 grams of pure gold or imprisonment", said Al Kamil at a preliminary hearing in the Banda Aceh Sharia (Islamic) Court.
Next week the court will hear defence pleas from the two men, but Al Kamil confirmed that the sentence demand would not shift. "Next Monday the trial will continue, the agenda is the defence plea", he said.
Earlier, a gay couple in Banda Aceh with the initials AI and DA were found hugging and naked when local residents broke into their room at their boarding house.
It was said that they often had illicit relationships and it this had been monitored by residents around the boarding house who had kept track on their movements. This was despite the pair arguing that they met to do college assignments.
After being caught by residents, the pair were handed over to Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officials and the Wilayatul Hisbah (Sharia Police, WH) to be processed according to applicable laws in Tanah Rencong, as Aceh is known. (dra/ugo)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Pasangan Gay di Banda Aceh Dituntut Hukuman 100 Kali Cambuk".]
