Authorities in Indonesia arrested two men last Thursday for running a Facebook page arranging meet-ups for gay people. The two men, only identified by their initials IS and IH, were arrested on October 18, said Hari Brata, a deputy director of West Java police, Reuters reported.
He added that the case was still developing.
The pair allegedly ran the page under the name “Gay Bandung Indonesia,” which was set up in 2015. According to the local police’s official Instagram account, Gay Bandung Indonesia had 4,093 members.
Charges of breaking the electronic information law by creating and distributing pornographic content have been laid against the two men and they could be jailed for six years plus face a maximum fine of one billion rupiah (US$66,000).
In Indonesia, homosexuality is not a federal crime. However, it is prohibited in the sharia-regulated state of Aceh. Even so, many members of the LGBTQ community have been forced to hide due to increased discrimination and persecution throughout the country.