Inside Aceh's brutal public canings where gleeful crowds watch men and women being whipped until they pass out under Sharia law punishment for sex outside marriage and gambling

By SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:42, 26 July 2026 | Updated: 13:54, 26 July 2026 An unconscious woman lies motionless on the floor while medics gather around her contorted body.  The 25-year-old has just been brutally whipped 21 times in public after an Indonesian court found her guilty of violating Islamic law by kissing her partner during a TikTok live-stream.  The act may seem like an innocent exchange between a couple in love, but in Aceh –  the only province in the South-East Asian country that applies a version of Sharia Law – it is met with severe punishment.  The woman – who was pictured wincing in agony as she was lashed repeatedly – is one of the latest victims of the province's brutal public whippings, in which hooded guards cane convicts in front of dozens of people until they pass out.  Ruthless officers, also known as 'algojos', use rattan sticks to flog them in front of Islamic court officials and curious onlookers in a gruesome spectacle condemned by human rights groups.  Dressed in dark robes that shroud them from head to toe, and their faces concealed by cloaks to maintain anonymity, the algojos are there to inflict pain with every strike.  Under Sharia Law, people can receive up to 100 lashes for morality offences including adultery and gay sex.  Caning is also exercised to punish people for gambling and drinking, and for women who wear tight clothes or men who skip Friday prayers.  A man is flogged with a rattan stick by an algojo in the Indonesian state of Aceh, which applies a version of Sharia Law A woman convicted of violating Sharia law for livestreaming obscene acts on social media is caned A man accused of having gay sex is publicly caned by a member of the Sharia police A man is carried away after fainting due to the pain of the flogging The woman and her partner were sentenced to 25 lashes earlier this month, but ended up receiving 21 strokes because they had already spent four months in prison. Images showed her kneeling and screaming in agony as a masked Sharia police officer repeatedly whipped her.  Her face appears to contort in pain with each strike before the punishment becomes too much to bear and she loses consciousness.  Four other people were also publicly caned on the same day for online gambling and adultery.   Dozens of onlookers watched the caning, with some calling for the officials who carried out the punishment to 'whip stronger'. The public nature of the punishments is intended to shame offenders who breach Sharia as well as to inflict pain.  Horrific images from previous canings show convicts lying on the floor, their bodies distorted as they grimace from the pain.  It is common for convicts to faint, with pictures and videos often showing them being carried out on a stretcher after they receive their violent punishment.  Several suffer from agonising wounds. One recent image showed red and purple blistery welts on a man's bare back after he received several lashes.  One particularly disturbing video filmed in 2023 showed a woman kneeling in front of a large crowd as she was whipped 22 times before collapsing.  She is then helped up and taken away as she struggles to walk after being flogged repeatedly.  Another video taken last year captured multiple men being struck by a robed algojo as crowds watch on.   Earlier this month, a couple received 27 lashes for physical intimacy, while two men were caned 29 and eight times, respectively, for gambling. And in May, authorities flogged two men and two women 100 times for having sex outside of marriage.  Five others were also caned at the time for violations including being in proximity to members of the opposite sex and alcohol consumption. During public canings, officers, also known as 'algojos', use rattan sticks to flog Sharia Law offenders in front of Islamic court officials and curious onlookers The public nature of the punishments is intended to shame offenders who breach Sharia law as well as to inflict pain Under Sharia law, offenders can receive up to 100 lashes for morality offences including adultery and gay sex A woman faints from the pain after being lashed more than 20 times in Aceh A woman being caned in Aceh after violating Shaira law earlier this year An woman is caned as punishment for having a sexual relationship outside of marriage A woman is carried away on a stretcher after being caned when she was found guilty of violating Sharia law Canings are often staged outside mosques or in community squares And in one of the most extreme cases Aceh has seen in recent years, a woman collapsed after she and her partner were caned 140 times each for having sex outside of marriage and drinking alcohol.  The couple were struck on their backs in January with a rattan stick in a public park while dozens watched.  The woman fainted after enduring her brutal punishment and had to be escorted by ambulance at the end of the relentless ordeal.   The woman was pictured kneeling as a masked man whipped her repeatedly with a cane, while another image showed her wiping away tears. She was also seen being wheeled off in a stretcher following her beatings, while her partner appeared to grimace in pain in separate photographs. It is thought to be one of the highest numbers of cane lashes imposed since Sharia was implemented after Aceh was granted special autonomy in 2001. Muhammad Rizal, the head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, said at the time: 'As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members. This certainly tarnishes our name.'  Canings, though not a legal form of punishment in Indonesia, retain strong support in Aceh. They are often staged outside mosques or in community squares, with crowds watching and photographing the event.  Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country, but officially recognises six religions as well as indigenous beliefs.   Human rights groups say the public humiliation adds to the cruelty and causes lasting psychological damage. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly condemned the practice, saying it violates Indonesia's constitution and its obligations under international law. Usman Hamid, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said: 'Such behaviour might be considered inappropriate because social media is viewed by people of various age groups, including children.  'But is it a crime that warrants imprisonment or even caning? That would be excessive.' Amnesty said in a statement: 'Caning contravenes Indonesia's constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards. 'It constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and other international covenants, to which Indonesia is a State Party.' Local officials have defended the practice as a deterrent and as part of the province's identity.  However, critics argue it has damaged Indonesia's human rights reputation and inflicted lasting trauma on those forced to endure it. A man receives aid after receiving up to 100 lashes A man is caned by an algojo in the Indonesian state of Aceh on May 21, 2026 Men use their phones to record a public caning for having sexual relations outside of wedlock A man is caned by a member of the Sharia police as a punishment for engaging in online gambling The practice also has wide support among Aceh's mostly Muslim population.  More than 90 per cent of the 255million people who live in Indonesia describe themselves as Muslim, but the vast majority practice a moderate form of the faith.  Sharia law in Aceh was introduced in 2002, with further provisions added the following year, after it was granted special autonomy in 2001, an attempt by the central government to quell a long-running separatist insurgency.  As part of that deal, Aceh won the right to be the only Indonesian province to use Islamic sharia law as its legal code. Among the measures introduced in 2003 was a ban on a person being alone with someone of the opposite sex who is neither a spouse nor a relative.  The law also set out punishment for sex crimes, unmarried people engaging in displays of affection, people caught found guilty of adultery and under-age sex. Religious police in Aceh have been known to target Muslim women without head scarves or those wearing tight clothes, and people drinking alcohol or gambling. Men and women have collapsed in pain due to the severity of their injuries, and people can be caned for something as innocent as standing too close to a partner in public or being seen alone with someone they are not married to. Over the past decade, the central government has devolved more power to regional authorities to increase autonomy and speed up development. In 2018, the province began consulting the public on whether it should introduce beheading as a punishment, although Indonesia's central government warned such plans would not be permitted under national law.