
TikTok Kiss Triggers Public Caning in Aceh Under Sharia Law
In Aceh, Indonesia’s only province enforcing Sharia law, a 22-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were publicly caned 21 times each for kissing during a TikTok livestream, with about 100 witnesses; the sentence was reduced from 25 lashes after four months in prison, and evidence from the livestream was seized for destruction. Four other people were caned for online gambling and adultery. Amnesty International condemned the punishment as cruel and a human rights violation, highlighting concerns over penalizing social media activity under religious law.


