Egypt Arrests Famed Belly Dancer

A famed belly dancer with legions of followers on social media finds herself behind bars in Egypt, accused of "violating public morals" for plying her craft. Sohila Tarek Hassan Haggag, who dances under the name Linda Martino, faces up to a year of hard labor if convicted, reports the Times of London and the Telegraph. Authorities detained Martino at a Cairo airport, accusing her of "using seduction techniques and provocative dancing to incite vice." The native of Egypt has dual citizenship with Italy because she married an Italian.

Martino defended her dancing at an initial court hearing. "Belly dancing is an art—it cannot be a crime," she said, per the Times. "I am a dancer and the videos on which the accusations are based are normal—they show a dance performance that do not go against or violate public morality." The indictment, however, accuses her of appearing "in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of her body, in clear violation of public morals and social values," per ANSA.

Martino's case is the latest in a series of arrests targeting belly dancers in Egypt. The government under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has stepped up crackdowns on performers, despite belly dancing's long-standing popularity in Egyptian culture. Martino, citing her Italian citizenship, is asking the Italian consulate to get involved in her case.