Egypt jails dancer for ‘inciting debauchery’ in music video

An Egyptian court sentenced a woman on Sunday to one year in jail on charges of “inciting debauchery” after she appeared in a music video wearing a low-cut mini dress.

The woman, Reda El-Fouly, was arrested in May after starring in the video, which went viral online.

Her dancing partner and director of the video, Wael El-Sediki, was also sentenced to one year in jail in absentia, the official said.

While the verdict can be appealed, it is not the first time that a woman has been sentenced to jail over a performance.

An Armenian belly dancer was sentenced to six months in jail in April for insulting Egypt's national flag during a performance last year. The dancer, known as Safinaz, was tried for wearing a costume that resembled the tri-coloured flag in the Red Sea resort town of Ain Sokhna.