Four men publicly flogged in Indonesia for online gambling

Men caught gambling online winced in pain as they were publicly flogged with canes in front of a crowd of dozens in Indonesia, Report informs via The Mirror.

The four men were lashed with canes as part of the brutal punishment in at a public in Banda Aceh city in Indonesia's Aceh region. Aceh enforces some elements of Islamic law after being granted greater autonomy by Indonesia's government.

One of the men was lashed 22 times while three other men were struck nine times. The punishment was meted out based on their betting and income, according to Islamic law enforcement chief Roslina.

The men winced as they were struck on their backs as an Imam gave a sermon about repentance. Photos from the public punishment show the men being caned. "One person received more lashes because their wager and winnings exceeded the equivalent of two grams of gold," Roslina said, according to MailOnline. "Meanwhile, the other three were below that threshold."

The men were reportedly caught gambling at an internet café. The public punishment is the first public lashing of the year in the region.