Agus Rahmat, Banda Aceh – A gay couple who were caught in a boarding house by local residents were sentenced to caning at the Sari Park in the Acehnese provincial capital of Banda Aceh on Thursday February 27. Before the sentence was carried out, they were first given a sermon by a religious teacher.
Those who were caned were DA who received 77 lashes, and AI who received 82 lashes. The punishment was reduced due to period they had already spent in detention.
The executioner stopped the caning briefly because one of the convicts was groaning in pain by the 48th lash. A medical officer repeatedly asked them about their condition. After assessing that there was no problem, the executioner resumed whipping the convict's back.
Then AI collapsed at the end of the caning. So officers from the Shariah (Islamic) police immediately carried AI from the execution site to the changing rooms in the Sari Park area. DA meanwhile offered a prayer of gratitude after completing the punishment.
Banda Aceh Shariah Islam (Islamic Law) office head Ridwan said that they do not tolerate LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) perpetrators. If caught, they will be punished according to the applicable qanun (bylaw).
"There is no place for LGBT perpetrators in Banda Aceh. Of course we will continue monitoring so that they are no longer in Banda Aceh", said Ridwan after the caning.
The plan is that after being caned, both convicts will be tested for HIV/AIDS by the Banda Aceh city health office. If they are HIV positive, they will receive counselling.
Earlier, the Mahkamah Syar'iyah (Islamic Court) judges ruled that the pair were proven to have violated Article 63 Paragraph (1) of Aceh Qanun Number 6/2014 on Islamic Criminal Law.
The gay couple was initially caught after AI's boarding room was raided by local residents. At that time they were found hugging naked.
They were also said to have often had illicit relations and this had been monitored by residents around the boarding house through their movements. Although the pair had argued that they met to do college assignments.
Following the incident, they were handed over to Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officials and the Wilayatul Hisbah (Islamic Police) to be processed according to the laws in force in Tanah Rencong as Aceh is known.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Sampai Tumbang, Rintihan Kesakitan Pasangan Gay di Aceh Dicambuk 159 Kali".]
