Belly Dancer Arrested In Egypt For "Using Seductive Techniques" In Reels

A belly dancer was detained in Egypt for "using seductive techniques" in her dance videos posted to Instagram. Sohila Tarek Hassan Haggag, an Egypt-born and naturalised Italian, was arrested at Cairo International Airport on June 22.

Ms Haggag, who goes by the name Linda Martino on Instagram and has 2.2 million Instagram followers, posted multiple videos dancing in skimpy attire and describing herself as "More than you can handle."

According to investigators, Ms Haggag violated societal norms by intentionally displaying sensitive body parts while wearing "indecent clothing."

The belly dancer was charged by prosecutors in Cairo with inciting vice through "seductive techniques and provocative dances," The New York Post reported.

At the time of her arrest, Ms Haggag was allegedly in possession of a "substantial" amount of cash. The Italian embassy in Cairo has called for her release and asked for access to her.

Despite having dual citizenship, Ms Haggag returned to Egypt a few years ago after splitting from an Italian partner and establishing a successful profession in the country of her birth.

She is likely to remain in jail for at least two more weeks.

According to Italian media, Egypt has recently implemented stricter rules about acts judged to be morally questionable.

As part of a larger crackdown under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government, at least five other belly dancers have already been arrested on similar morality-related allegations.

In 2020, dancer Sama el-Masry was found guilty of sharing sexually provocative images online and given a three-year prison sentence and a 300,000 Egyptian pound fine, per The Guardian.

The dancer refuted the allegations, claiming the content was stolen from her phone and distributed without permission.

Human rights organisations have criticised such cases and vaguely defined cyberlaws passed in 2018. Under the regulations, anyone running an account on the Internet found breaching the law may face jail time of at least two years and a fine of up to 300,000 Egyptian pounds.