Banda Aceh: In yet another shocking incident, an elderly man was among the four people who had been publicly flogged in Indonesia's Banda Aceh province for violating the Sharia law.
The public flogging was carried out in front of a mosque where the accused were brought one by one on a stage and whipped with cane sticks.
As the men were produced in front of the baying crowd, they were ordered to stand with their hands crossed. Holding a cane in his hand, a masked man stepped forward from the crowd.
Each of the men received whips on their naked backs as people were seen laughing as well as mocking the accused.
The men were accused of violating the Sharia law, prominent in Banda Aceh. The province began to introduce Sharia punishments in 2001, but now a host of actions, including drinking, premarital sex, homosexuality and gambling are punishable.
Banda Aceh lies on the western tip of Sumatra and is home to nearly five million Indonesians.
