An Iranian couple who posted a dance video was reportedly sentenced to 10 years in prison

BBC Confirmed The arrest of the couple came after they posted the video on social media.

CBS News reported that Iranian state media outlet Mizan Claimed Haghighi and Ahmadi were not arrested for dancing but for inciting resistance efforts by “inciting people to riot and sabotage against the country” in their Instagram posts.

Mizan disputed the 10-year sentence and said the couple received five years in prison for publishing a “call for protest”.

“It is clear that counter-revolutionary forces misreported the charges by saying that each was sentenced to 10 years,” the Islamic Republic’s Judiciary’s Mizan news agency said, Reuters reported.

“Astiazh Haghighi and Amir Mohammad Ahmadi published a call for a rally on November 4 and called for riots on their Instagram pages,” Mizan’s statement read, according to CBS News. “During the riots, he used his page to advertise calls, including the November 4 call.”

A Tehran court sentenced the couple to 10 years and 6 months each for a total of 21 years in prison on counts of “promotion of impurity and obscenity, assembly against national security and propaganda against the agreement and administration,” The Washington Post reported. He said Wednesday. The couple has also been banned from social media and cannot leave the country for two years. Although their profiles remain public, there have been no posts on Haghighi’s feed since September 28, 2022. Ahmadi’s last post was in early September.

Iranians are protesting in increasing numbers against the government’s theocratic rule and crackdown by the authorities. His death last year caused much public controversy Mahsa AminiA 22-year-old woman was arrested by Iran’s morality police for inappropriately wearing a hijab. Amini died a few days later in his custody.

Iranian authorities have arrested public figures who have spoken out against the government’s response to Amini’s death. This includes the arrest of key actors Taraneh Alidoshi And a celebrity chef Nawab Ibrahimi.

Haghighi spoke out in support of Amini in September. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “Hope tomorrow will be better. Let’s hold each other’s hands and support each other. We are all Iranians and we need to help each other.”