A group of seven Iranian men and women who created and starred in their own version of a video for Pharrell Williams’ song ‘Happy’ have each been given suspended sentences of prison time and 91 lashes.
The fun-loving friends were arrested in May after posting their homemade music video ‘Happy in Tehran’ to YouTube.
They were forced to publicly confess and apologise on national television before being released on bail, with police chief Hossein Sajedinia warning others that the video was “a vulgar clip” which “hurt public chastity”.
Their lawyer Farshid Rofugaran told English-language Iranian news outlet IranWire that six of the group were yesterday given six months in prison and 91 lashes, while a seventh – the Director of the video – was also given 91 lashes but one year in jail. The sentences are suspended for three years.
In pictures: Iranian women remove their hijabs
“A suspended sentence becomes null and void after a certain period of time,” he said.
“When it’s a suspended sentence, the verdict is not carried out, but if during this period a similar offense is committed, then the accused is subject to legal punishment and the suspended sentence will then be carried out as well.”
The announcement of the arrests earlier this year drew widespread criticism and even led to Pharrell Williams tweeting that it was “beyond sad these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness”.
