The treatment of four Rwandan women accused of breaking a strict cyber-crime law forbidding “indecent” images from being uploaded has angered social media users, RFI reports.

Critics object to the fact that the suspects were “paraded” in front of the media on Friday before any kind of trial had taken place.

But according to RFI, the Rwanda Investigative Bureau insisted it had been necessary to send a strong message to the public.

It also defended the move by saying the women’s faces and names were not revealed.

A Congolese national was arrested alongside the four women last week, RFI reports. Rwandan authorities reportedly suspect him of “pushing the women to take their clothes off for money” and being a member of a “prostitution ring”.