In several countries, infidelity is more than a personal issue. It carries legal consequences, sometimes severe. Religious doctrines, colonial legal codes, and conservative social structures continue to influence these laws. Cheating can result in arrests, lashes, fines, or years behind bars.
Here’s a look at places where being unfaithful is officially a reason to lock you up.
Indonesia
In Aceh, religious benches have the authority to convict people for adultery, and the consequences aren’t symbolic. Offenders can serve up to nine months in custody, and public lashings remain part of sentencing. These rules apply only in this province, but they’re actively enforced. Indonesia’s national government doesn’t criminalize the act, yet Aceh operates under its own Sharia-based system.
Iran
For those convicted of extramarital relationships in Iran, the consequences can go far beyond jail time. In 2006, Malak Ghorbany was sentenced to death by stoning after allegedly confessing to a relationship outside her marriage. The sentence was later reduced to 100 lashes following international pressure.
Philippines
Roughly 7 in 10 Filipinos, according to a 2020 SWS survey, believe marital infidelity should have legal consequences. Under the law, a woman can receive up to six years behind bars, and the man she’s involved with may also be prosecuted. Men face a different charge—concubinage—which carries lighter penalties.
Pakistan
The fallout after cheating in Pakistan includes public shaming, loss of employment, and years of legal uncertainty. Meanwhile, the zina laws, introduced in the late 1970s, allow for long prison terms even when evidence is limited. Women accused remain detained for months, sometimes years, before the trial concludes.
Rwanda
Back in 2009, Rwanda updated its penal code and made adultery a punishable offense. Since then, people have served anywhere from six months to two years for cheating. If someone moves in with the person they had an affair with, that can make the sentence even longer.
United States
It might surprise some people, but in places like Michigan, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, being unfaithful to your spouse can get you locked up. In Michigan, it’s actually classified as a felony with a possible four-year sentence. Other states have similar laws on the books, though enforcement is rare. That said, these laws still surface during divorce proceedings.
Nigeria
Adultery carries legal consequences in Nigeria’s northern region, where Sharia law guides much of the criminal code. Sections 387 and 388 allow courts to put someone away for up to two years or impose fines. Southern states do not apply these laws, so outcomes differ based on geography.
Egypt
Infidelity doesn’t carry the same legal risk for men and women in Egypt. A woman can be sentenced to up to two years behind bars, while a man suffers just six months, and only if the relationship happened at home.
Bangladesh
A few years ago in Dhaka, a man was sentenced to three years in jail after the husband of the woman he was seeing filed a complaint. The woman received no charges because, as per Bangladesh’s colonial-era law, only the man in an extramarital relationship is held accountable. He can get up to five years in prison if found guilty.
United Arab Emirates
People have lost jobs, visas, and even residency status due to a conviction of unfaithfulness in the United Arab Emirates. Non-citizens are often deported upon the completion of their incarceration, with no chance to return. Courts typically require strong evidence, but outcomes can be harsh.
Jordan
You wouldn’t think it still happens, but in Jordan, people are regularly sentenced for having an affair. They may be handed down up to three years in custody, and the process usually starts with filing a complaint. A Human Rights Watch report from 2022 documented dozens of these cases in a single year. Judges sometimes reduce sentences if there’s reconciliation, but that’s not guaranteed.
Qatar
Prosecutors in Qatar won’t proceed without specific proof—either a full confession or testimony from at least two witnesses. But once that’s secured, courts draw a hard line. Sentences can reach up to seven years, and judges rarely offer alternatives or reduced terms. Both citizens and expatriates have been convicted according to these rules.
Nepal
A one-month jail sentence might not sound like much, but in Nepal, that’s exactly what one man received after being reported by a woman’s husband in 2021. The case made local news in Kathmandu and followed the standard legal process—the spouse highlights the matter, the court reviews the evidence, and sentencing follows.
South Sudan
Once someone brings a complaint forward in South Sudan and the allegations are backed by evidence or testimony, both men and women will be convicted. Though fewer cases appear in national headlines, courts still hear and rule on adultery, using the law to reinforce expectations around marriage.
Morocco
The law criminalizing extramarital relationships in Morocco dates back to the country’s 1963 penal code, and it hasn’t seen much change since. Judges can put away each person involved for up to one year, but proceedings only begin if a spouse decides to take action. In some cases, like those involving child neglect, the detention can be longer.