Young Iranian street dancer, Sahra Afsharian, got arrested for uploading a video of herself dancing on Instagram. This week alone, two other women were also arrested for dancing in public, and activists are enraged.
#SahraAfsharian, Iranian young street dancer is in jail.
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) October 9, 2019
Her crime? Uploading her dancing performance on instagram.
Her family told me they’ve been threatened not to speak to media.
This week 2 other women were also arrested for crime of dancing. Hey World! can you hear us? pic.twitter.com/gSQkKPrfwe
Dancing is not a crime.#dance #dancedancedance #Dancehall #dancers
— The Chakra (@ChakraNews) October 9, 2019
Afsharian's family came forward after Iranian authorities threatened them if they tried to bring her story to the media. This is not uncommon in the conservative Islamic Republic of Iran. Several other activists have also been arrested, never to be heard of, for the same reason as well as for other trivial ‘crimes’ such as taking off their headscarves or even going to football games.
In 2014, a group of Pharrell Williams fans arrested for dancing to the song Happy on the rooftops of Tehran received suspended sentences of imprisonment and lashes.
In July, a teenage dancer, Maedeh Hojabri, who had more than 600,000 followers, was arrested for uploading a video of herself dancing on Instagram.
Teenage dancer, Maedeh Hojabri, was arrested in Iran. She used to record dance videos in her bedroom and upload them to her instagram with 600K followers.#مائده_هژبرى pic.twitter.com/3EDVR9veV3
— Negar Mortazavi (@NegarMortazavi) July 8, 2018
Her name is Maeade Mahi. Recently she got arrested just because of uploading her dancing videos on her Instagram. If you are a woman in Iran and you dance or sing or show your hair then you are a criminal. If you want to enjoy your true self, you have to brake the laws every day. pic.twitter.com/0eIq5ld5x6
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) July 7, 2018
Female activists and social media influencers have been protesting what they describe as misogynist laws against females in Iran. In return, authorities have been targeting social media influencers and activists, arresting those who are violating their laws.
2/Authorities focuses on all of influencers on Instagram who have followers, because Islamic Republic wants to control women. These women know the risk, but they think this is the time to fight gender apartheid. Women are fed up with religious interference in their lives.
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) October 9, 2019
