Following a month of international criticism, boycotts and celebrity protests, the Sultan of Brunei backtracked on enforcing radical interpretations of Sharia Law, including the death penalty for homosexual sex. In the regions surrounding Brunei, however, particularly in the Indonesian province of Aceh, Sharia Law continues to curb the freedom of millions of people.
, adultery, premarital sex, homosexual sex, gambling and the consumption of alcohol can still result in canings, fines and imprisonment.
Every day, Sharia modesty police patrol the province on the lookout for ‘immoral behaviour’. While much of the police’s efforts focus on finding unmarried, heterosexual couples alone together, it is minority groups - particularly LGBTI+ people - who are most at risk.
