21 Lashes for a Kiss: Couple Punished After Livestreaming in Indonesia's Aceh

Indonesia’s Aceh Province Enforces Sharia Penalty for Public Affection

According to Radiotrek — Світ: In Indonesia’s Aceh province, an unmarried couple was publicly flogged with 21 strikes each after sharing a kiss during a TikTok livestream. Local authorities deemed their actions a violation of Islamic law, known as sharia. Human rights group Amnesty International condemned the punishment as cruel and discriminatory.

The man, aged 22, and the woman, aged 25, were arrested in April 2026 following complaints about the viral recording of their broadcast, which took place in late February. The kiss occurred inside a vehicle in the provincial capital of Aceh. Authorities confiscated the couple’s phone and a flash drive containing the video, both of which were slated for destruction. Initially sentenced to 25 lashes, their penalty was later reduced to 21, factoring in four months already served in detention.

At least 100 people witnessed the sentence being carried out. Aceh stands as Indonesia’s only region where sharia law is enforced, a concession granted by the secular central government in 2006 as part of a peace deal to end a decades-long conflict. In 2015, the province extended sharia’s reach to non-Muslim residents, who make up roughly 1% of the area. The law permits up to 100 lashes for moral offenses, which include:

• Adultery
• Same-sex relations
• Gambling
• Alcohol consumption
• Women’s attire
• Men missing Friday communal prayers

“The public flogging of a young man and woman simply for kissing is a horrific act of discrimination and a grim reminder of the ongoing human rights abuses permitted under Aceh’s Islamic Criminal Code.”

- Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International

This case highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding sharia’s application in Indonesia and its impact on human rights, especially in personal relationships. Since Aceh is the only province in the country to enforce sharia, such incidents raise concerns about human rights practices both within Indonesia and beyond. The response from international bodies like Amnesty International may serve as a catalyst for policy changes regarding human rights in the nation.