Four men in Aceh, Indonesia were publicly caned for consuming alcohol, an act which violates Sharia law in the region.
The caning took place in a white-tiled room, overseen by Islamic court officials and a police officer. The men received between 19 and 42 lashes with a rattan cane.
One man required a brief pause after experiencing pain and received medical attention before continuing his punishment.
Aceh is the only province in Indonesia to enforce Sharia law, and punishments for violations can include caning, fines, and imprisonment. While supporters argue these punishments are legal under the region’s autonomy, critics have condemned the practice as cruel and called for its abolition.
This incident is not the first – Amnesty International reports 100 canings were carried out in 2016 alone, and Sharia law has been applied to non-Muslims for offenses such as selling alcohol.
