A man and woman were lashed 100 times each in the Aceh province of Indonesia, on Wednesday, for having sex when they are not married.

Before the public flogging, the man and woman were first tried by a court operating under strict Islamic law and we’re found to have broken the Sharia part of the Islamic legal code. The code condemns sexual intercourse between an unmarried couple is outlawed and said impose a version of sharia.

In provincial capital Banda Aceh, the suspects were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick; the men lashes the man while the women lashed the woman.

A resident, Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal who spoke to reporters said three other suspects were caned a combined 49 times for alleged gambling and alcohol consumption.

“Today we are carrying out flogging punishment for perpetrators of adultery, alcohol consumption, and online gambling.

“This becomes a moral lesson for the community at large. This flogging punishment becomes a gateway to repentance for them.”

In Indonesia’s latest criminal code in 2022, it banned sex outside of marriage which will take full force next year.

However, rights groups have condemned the punishment as draconian but caning has remained a common punishment for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol and adultery.

Meanwhile, during the flogging of the suspects on Wednesday, medical services were on standby for all of those convicted.