In Aceh, Indonesia, a woman and her partner were publicly lashed 140 times each for having sex outside marriage and consuming alcohol, marking one of the harshest punishments in the region in 25 years. The punishment was carried out with rattan canes under strict Sharia law, causing the woman to collapse and be taken away on a stretcher.

The couple received 100 lashes for pre-marital sex and 40 lashes for drinking alcohol, which is prohibited in the province. Aceh is the only region in Indonesia where Sharia law is enforced, and public floggings are used as a legal penalty for violating Islamic codes of conduct.

Officials said the punishment applies equally to everyone, including members of the Sharia police. Another couple, including a Sharia officer and his partner, received 23 lashes each for being in close proximity in private. Authorities emphasized that no exceptions are made, even for law enforcement personnel, to uphold the credibility of the law.

Human rights advocates have condemned the punishment, describing it as extreme and cruel. While Sharia law aims to regulate behavior in Aceh, critics argue that public flogging raises serious concerns about physical and psychological harm to the punished individuals.