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Reuters
A court in Egypt sentenced five young women to two years in prison for posting “indecent videos” on the TikTok video-sharing app.
The women, who have not been named, were fined nearly $ 19,000 (£ 15,000).
The prison sentences are the first issued by a court as part of a campaign by the authorities against influential people on social media.
Activists have mounted an online campaign in response, demanding the release of the detainees.
“The Cairo Economic Court sentenced Mawada al-Adham and Haneen Hossam and three to two years in prison and fined them 300,000 Egyptian pounds each,” reported the state website al-Ahram.
“They are accused of violating the values and principles of Egyptian society and publishing indecent photos and videos that disturb public morals,” added al-Ahram.
The three women who were not named were also accused of participating in inappropriate video calls with men.
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This is the first court ruling against influential women on social media in Egypt after a series of recent arrests, most targeting women who are popular on TikTok.
Hossam was arrested in April after posting a three-minute clip telling her 1.3 million followers that the girls could earn money working with her, reports the AFP news agency.
Adham was arrested in May after posting satirical videos on TikTok and Instagram, where she has at least 2 million followers.
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They have been accused of inciting “debauchery” and “immorality” with the content they post on the video-sharing platform, although it is not always clear which videos and photos worry authorities, correspondents say.
Under Egyptian law, the charge of “incitement to debauchery” is used against a variety of crimes.
The public prosecutor’s office often determines the charge as being “contrary to the traditions and morals of Egyptian society.”
TikTok’s popularity in Egypt has skyrocketed in recent months, especially after government-imposed movement restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to reports.
