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Image: AP/Press Association Images
Image: AP/Press Association Images
A COURT IN the Egyptian capital of Cairo has sentenced an Armenian belly dancer to six months in prison because her outfit bore too close a resemblance to the country’s flag.
The dancer, known as Safinaz, was fined E£15,000 (€1,800) but has been released on bail pending an appeal.
She was on trial for wearing this outfit during a performance last year in the Red Sea resort town of Ain Sokhna:
It was deemed to be too close to the Egyptian flag by a local hotel owner, who objected to the use of the flag print.
A 2014 law makes “insulting” the national flag a criminal offence in Egypt.
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Safinaz is married to an Egyptian and gained instant fame after arriving in Egypt more than two years ago, with her “erotic moves” in performances in several movies and at high-profile weddings.
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