Iranian couple dancing in the streets sentenced to over 10 years in prison

A couple in their 20s has been sentenced to more than 10 years in jail by an Iranian court for posting a video of themselves dancing in a street. The court convicted them of 'encouraging corruption' and 'public prostitution' under archaic Islamic laws.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), they both have received 10 years and six months in prison sentences. Additionally, the couple is not allowed to use the internet and leave Iran for two years.

Amir Mohammad Ahmadi andAstiyazh Haghighi were arrested in November last year as a video went viral showing them dancing in front ofTehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Tower.

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As Haghighi was seen without a scarf or a hijab in the video, dancing alongside a male figure, alone at night in front of a prominent landmark, the authorities considered itan attempt to show dissent against the strict Islamic laws of the country.

A woman in Iran is not allowed to dance in public, much less so without a hijab and with a man.Haghighi's home was also raided by the authorities, prior to her arrest.

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Ever since the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini allegedly at the hands of Iran's morality police in September last year, the country has plunged into a sea of demonstrations.

The Iranian government has come down heavily upon the protesters and is now executing them with the judiciary firmly backing their objective.

The first execution took place in December last year and since then, the process has been expedited.The Iranian officials in their lexicon have called the protests 'riots' and used them as an excuse to kill hundreds of people.

The Iranian regime that came to power after the 1979 revolution is facing a stern response from the public for the first time. The unrest continues in the country and the sentencing of the couple is expected to add to the fire.

(With inputs from agencies)

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