• Two men sentenced to 80 lashes each for kissing and hugging in Aceh, Indonesia.
• The verdict marks the fifth public caning for homosexuality in Aceh since 2015.
• Human rights organizations criticize the law for violating minorities' rights.
• The case highlights Aceh's unique implementation of Islamic Shariah law in Indonesia.
• Public access to the trial was restricted, limiting transparency in the proceedings.

An Islamic Shariah court in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province sentenced two men to public caning, delivering 80 lashes each after they were apprehended by Islamic religious police for engaging in what the court deemed sexual acts involving hugging and kissing. The trial, held at the Islamic Sharia District Court in Banda Aceh, was conducted behind closed doors, a common practice in cases involving adultery, where public access can be limited to protect the involved parties, according to CBS News, SCMP, and Los Angeles Times.

The two men, aged 20 and 21, were arrested in April after being reported by residents who witnessed them entering the same bathroom at Taman Sari city park. Upon entering, police found them kissing and hugging, acts the court categorized as immoral under Islamic law. The lead judge, Rokhmadi M. Hum, stated that there was sufficient evidence to legally prove they violated Islamic guidelines, as noted by CBS News and Los Angeles Times.

The prosecutors originally sought a harsher punishment of 85 strokes, but the court opted for what it described as a lenient sentence due to the men's status as exemplary students and their cooperation during court proceedings. The judges decided to reduce the cane count by four, reflecting the time served while in detention. Prosecutor Alfian expressed dissatisfaction with the reduction but confirmed he would refrain from appealing the ruling, according to SCMP and Los Angeles Times.

Aceh province is unique within Indonesia, as it is the only region permitted to implement Shariah law, allowing for public caning in cases of immorality, including homosexuality. The broader Indonesian national criminal code does not address homosexuality; thus, sharia law stands unchallenged at the provincial level. Human rights advocates have condemned such laws, arguing they contravene international human rights treaties that Indonesia is party to, according to CBS News, SCMP, and Los Angeles Times.