In Iran, lashing is a form of corporal punishment that is designated for particular offenses, which are enumerated in Irans Islamic penal code. More than 100 "offenses" are punishable by flogging, including theft, assault, vandalism, defamation, fraud, adultery, intimate relationships between unmarried men and women, "breach of public morals," and consensual same-sex sexual relations. The number of lashes can vary depending on the offense, ranging from 10 to 100 lashes across the back, carried out with a one-meter whip. The pain is so severe that offenders often faint after seven or eight strokes. The punishment would traditionally have taken place in a public square to humiliate the culprit, but it is now often done in a police station. Judges have discretion in determining whether to select lashes or alternatives as punishment for an offense, and there are alternatives to lashes depending on the offense. However, statistics on how frequently the penalty of lashing is administered are not readily available. Lashing sentences have been carried out against journalists, bloggers, miners, women who consumed alcohol and attended mixed-gender parties, and even foreigners who have sexual relations with unmarried women.