Unmarried couple caned for kissing in livestream

By the Editorial Team · Friday, July 10, 2026

A young unmarried couple in Aceh, Indonesia, was publicly caned 21 times each after a Sharia court found them guilty of kissing during a TikTok livestream. This punishment highlights the strict enforcement of Islamic law in Aceh, the only Indonesian province implementing such regional religious regulations, despite criticism from human rights groups.

In Aceh province, Indonesia, a young unmarried couple was publicly caned after being found guilty by a Sharia court of violating Islamic law by kissing during a TikTok livestream. The 22-year-old man and 25-year-old woman were each sentenced to receive 21 lashes with a rattan cane, a punishment carried out on a public stage in front of at least 100 witnesses.

The couple’s arrest followed the reporting of their livestream to local Sharia authorities in April. Aceh is the only province in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, that enforces a regional interpretation of Sharia law, which includes strict provisions prohibiting premarital intimacy and public displays of affection.

Local officials have maintained that the punishment aligns with regional regulations aimed at upholding religious and moral standards. Human rights groups and activists have criticized the caning, calling it a form of corporal punishment that violates individual rights, but authorities continue to enforce the penalties in accordance with Aceh’s autonomous legal framework.

The incident underscores the ongoing tensions between national laws and local Sharia enforcement in Indonesia’s only province with such strict Islamic regulations.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.