Indonesian police raid gay sauna and detain dozens of partygoers

The Indonesian police raided a gay sauna in Jakarta and detained 58 people from the facility on Saturday, 7 October. Authorities launched a raid on the facility after residents complained that the building, housing a sauna and gym, was used for prostitution.

This is the latest in a series of such measures against homosexuals in the Muslim-majority nation. The actions by the authorities are raising serious concerns over the country's tolerance.

Among those arrested, there were also foreigners from China, Holland, Thailand and Malaysia. While 51 of the detained were partygoers, seven employees of the T1 Sauna have also been taken into custody.

"We secured 51 and seven employees for allegedly providing pornographic services," said a police statement.

Though homosexuality is not criminal in Indonesia, except for Aceh province, authorities have used harsh anti-pornography laws to crack down on gay people.

"They [the detainees] have all been treated well since their arrest and also on the way to the resort police station in Central Jakarta," said Jakarta police spokesperson Argo Yuwono. "We are still investigating as to how long the group has been operating and whether it is included in the international network."

The sauna facility reportedly charged an entry fee of about 165,000 Indonesian Rupiah (roughly $11, £9). The authorities have also seized contraceptives and sex toys during the raid.

Police are also on the lookout for others who operated the sauna facility. While many of those arrested have been released after a brief detention, police said five of the employees are in still custody and likely to be charged under the anti-pornography legislation, which carries up to six years of imprisonment.

According to the Human Rights Watch, the latest raid is the fifth such crackdown targeting the LGBT community in private spaces in Indonesia in 2017.