Iranian Couple Reportedly Jailed For 10 Years After Posting A Dance Video

According to the BBC, a couple in Iran has been arrested reportedly for sharing a dance video on social media.

Mizan, the Iranian state media outlet, stated that the couple, known as Haghighi and Ahmadi, were not detained for dancing but for encouraging resistance in their Instagram posts, urging people to protest against the country.

Mizan disagreed with the reported 10-year sentence and instead claimed that the couple was given a five-year prison term for publishing a call for protests.

Reuters, citing the Islamic Republic judiciary’s Mizan news agency, reported, “It is clear that anti-revolutionary forces have falsely reported the charges by claiming each were sentenced to 10 years.”

According to a statement from Mizan, the couple, Astiazh Haghighi and Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, called for a rally on November 4 and encouraged riots through their Instagram pages. They utilized their platform during the riots to promote various calls to action.

The Tehran court sentenced Haghighi to 10 years in prison, and Ahmadi to 6 months in prison, resulting in a total sentence of 21 years for the couple. The charges against them included “promotion of impurity and indecency, assembly and collusion against national security, and propaganda against the regime.” Furthermore, they have been prohibited from using social media and leaving the country for two years. While their profiles are still visible, Haghighi has not posted since September 28, 2022, and Ahmadi’s last post was at the beginning of September.

In recent times, there has been a surge in protests by Iranians against the theocratic rule of the government, leading to a crackdown by authorities. These protests were primarily sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested by Iran’s morality police for not properly wearing her hijab. Amini died in custody a few days later.

Following Amini’s death, Iranian officials have been arresting public figures who have criticized the government’s handling of the situation. This includes well-known actor Taraneh Alidoosti and celebrity chef Navab Ebrahimi.

In September, Haghighi expressed support for Amini in an Instagram post, calling for unity and assistance among Iranians. She wrote, “Hoping tomorrow will be a better tomorrow. Let’s hold each other’s hands and support each other. We are all Iranians and we need to help each other.”