Belly dancer jailed for insulting Egyptian flag

Belly dancer accused of insulting the Egyptian flag. Image by Richard Potts / CC BY 2.0

A court has sentenced a belly dancer to six months in jail for dancing in a costume with the colours of the Egyptian flag. The popular dancer, Sofinar Gourian, wore the costume during a performance in the Red Sea resort of Ain Sokhna, She was later convicted of “insulting the Egyptian flag” under a new law, passed in June 2014, that states such an offence is punishable by jail time and a fine. Insults can include displaying a flag if it is damaged, washed out, or not suitable for display, or adding pictures, designs or logos to it. Read more: middleeasteye.net