High-profile Egyptian belly dancer Sama el-Masry was sentenced to three years in prison Saturday after prosecutors said she posted sexually suggestive videos to TikTok.
El-Masry, 42, was arrested in April and accused of inciting debauchery and committing “immorality” by sharing the content.
But the dancer has denied uploading the videos to the social media platform, telling authorities the content was stolen from her phone and posted by somebody else without her consent.
John Talaat, a member of parliament who asked for legal action against el-Masry and other female TikTok users, told Reuters that the dancer and other female social media influencers were destroying family values and traditions.
“There is a huge difference between freedom and debauchery,” Talaat said.
El-Masry said she would appeal the sentence.
Entessar el-Saeed, a women’s rights lawyer in Cairo, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that only women are being targeted by Egypt’s 2018 cyber crime law that El-Masry was charged under.
“Our conservative society is struggling with technological changes which have created a completely different environment and mindsets,” said El-Saeed.
With Post wires