18-Yr-Old Iranian Woman Arrested; Her Crime? Dancing!

This 18-yr-old got arrested for posting videos on Instagram of her dancing.

This 18-yr-old got arrested for posting videos of her dancing on Instagram. 

(Photo: Instagram)

Maedeh Hojabri, an 18-year-old gymnast, got arrested in Iran after she posted videos on her Instagram page of her dancing. The page had about 6,00,000 followers when it was suspended.

Hojabri is one among many Instagram users who were behind popular Instagram accounts in Iran. The detainees have appeared on a state television programme confessing that the videos break moral norms.

According to Guardian’s report, it appears they were forced to clarify, a tactic often used by Iranian authorities.

It wasn’t for attracting attention. I had some followers and these videos were for them. I did not have any intention to encourage others doing the same … I didn’t work with a team, I received no training. I only do gymnastics. 

Maedeh Hojabri

Ever since her arrest, Hojabri’s videos have been shared all over social media.

Twitter Comes Out in Maedeh’s Support

People outraged on social media, commenting on Iranian rules against singing and dancing.

Many Iranians also think that Instagram might be blocked soon. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Telegram are already blocked. However, millions of Iranians continue to use social networking websites through proxies and VPN.