The media reported on the ban on extramarital intimacy in Indonesia

Since January 2, 2026, a new Criminal Code has been in force in Indonesia, criminalizing extramarital intimate relations, including for foreign tourists. This was reported on December 31 by the Reuters news agency, citing local authorities.

"Indonesia's new criminal code <...> will require public oversight to prevent abuse of the law," a government minister told the agency.

It clarifies that according to the updated Criminal Code, extramarital sexual relations are recognized as a criminal offense and can be punishable by imprisonment for up to one year. At the same time, prosecution is possible only in the case of an official statement from the spouse, parent or child of the alleged violator. The ban applies not only to Indonesian citizens, but also to foreign tourists staying in the country. At the same time, the requirement of a mandatory statement from close relatives, as noted by the authorities, partially reduced the concerns of the tourism industry about possible risks for foreigners.

According to the agency, the new code was adopted back in 2022 and replaced the criminal law that had been in force since the Dutch colonial rule. The document also includes norms concerning insulting the State, as well as elements of restorative justice. The broad formulations of a number of articles have attracted criticism from human rights defenders and activists of the democratic movement. They expressed concern that the new provisions could restrict civil liberties, freedom of speech and create risks of harassment of critics of the authorities. At the same time, the government emphasizes that updating legislation is aimed at bringing legal norms in line with the modern cultural and social realities of Indonesia.

On March 7, 2025, the Unconquered France (LFI) party proposed to exclude the concept of marital debt from the legislation. The bill was drafted after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in January on the divorce of spouses from France. The marriage was dissolved on the grounds that the wife had refused to have sexual relations with her husband for several years.

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