Bastinado Falaka

The falaka ( also falanga, falaq or fallagas) is the traditional punishment on the soles of the feet of Middle East, Greece, Turkey, and in general the Muslim countries which is also known as bastinado in English language, bastonade in German language and has also writtenforms like falanqa, falaq and more. It is actually the name of the device for immobilizing the feet, equiv alent to the European stocks. It is a thick and long pole with a rope tied at its ends. The rope hangs loosely from the pole in the form of a "U". The bare feet of the punished are put inside the rope and the pole is turned, making the rope tighten, until the ankles are firmly pressed against the pole. Two men hold the ends of the pole about waist height, and then the soles are beaten. When no falaka is available, the feet are bound with a rope, and held in the air by two men in the same fashion.