Iranian couple jailed for more than 10 years for dancing in the street

Astiyazh Haghighi (21) and her fiancé Amir Mohammad Ahmadi (22) were arrested in November. That happened after they posted the video on their Instagram accounts, says a source the BBC. The two together have more than two million followers on Instagram. Haghidi would enjoy some fame as a fashion designer.

The video shows them dancing against the backdrop of the Azadi Tower in the capital Tehran. This ‘freedom tower’ is located in the west of the city and was built under the reign of the last shah, before the Islamic revolution. The monument is a symbolic gateway to the West. Haghighi does not wear a headscarf in the video, can be seen on the video at the BBC, while it is mandatory for women in Iran. It is also forbidden for women to dance in public, writes The Guardian.

The video is seen as a provocation against the Iranian regime. The duo have been convicted of “promoting corruption and public prostitution” and “gathering together with the intent to disrupt national security.”

In addition to the prison sentences of more than ten years each, they are not allowed to use social media for two years and are not allowed to leave the country. Speaking to HRANA, a confidant of Haghighi’s family said the two had no right to an attorney in court. Their requests to be released on bail were also rejected.

The protest movement in Iran sees the video as a symbol of the freedoms that have been demonstrated in Iran for months, writes The Guardian. And especially the moment when Ahmadi lifts his fiancé. When posting the video, the couple itself made no connection with the protests in Iran.