Indonesia police arrest 58 in raid on Jakarta gay sauna

Published On: October 8, 2017 11:30 AM NPT By: Associated Press

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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct 8: Police say they arrested 58 men, including several foreigners, in a raid of a gay sauna in Indonesia's capital.

Police spokesman Argo Yuwono says Friday's raid in downtown Jakarta will lead to seven people being charged under Indonesia's pornography law, including the sauna's owner and staffers. He said Sunday that the other 51 men will be released if they are found to not be criminals or carrying drugs.

The maximum penalty for those found guilty of pornography charges is 10 years in prison.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia except in Aceh province, but the country's LGBT community has come under siege recently. Police have set up a special task force to investigate activities by gays and a case before the country's top court is seeking to criminalize homosexual sex.