Italian belly dancer arrested in Egypt for ‘using seductive techniques'
Sohila Tarek Hassan Haggag, a naturalised Italian born in Egypt, dances under the name of Linda Martino and has more than two million followers on social media.
Egyptian authorities arrested her at Cairo Airport on June 22, accusing her of corrupting public morals with her provocative dancing.
The investigation was triggered by videos on her Instagram account, in which she writhes around in revealing clothing and describes herself as 'more than you can handle'.
Investigators said Ms Haggag 'appeared in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of the body, in blatant violation of social values'.
She was reported to be in possession of substantial sums of money at the time of her arrest, which authorities described as the proceeds of 'activities liable to instigate depravity'.
The Cairo prosecutor accused her of having 'used seductive techniques and provocative dances to incite vice'.
She is expected to remain in jail for at least another two weeks, according to reports.
The Italian Embassy in Cairo is seeking urgent clarification on her case.
Using techniques 'to incite vice'
Ms Haggag moved to Egypt several years ago and has built a highly successful career. She was previously married to an Italian and is said to have relatives in the Veneto region.
Her videos, often shot in popular venues to Egyptian hits, have attracted millions of views on Instagram and TikTok.
The indictments include investigations into a cabaret on Egypt's north coast, where Ms Haggag 'appeared in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of her body, in clear violation of public morals and social values'.
'The investigations have ascertained that Linda used seduction techniques and provocative dances to incite vice,' the document read.
Egyptian crackdown
Egypt has clamped down on artists and influencers accused of undermining public morality in recent years.
Under the government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, at least five belly dancers have ended up in jail on charges similar to those against Ms Haggag, Italian media reported.
Katerina Andreeva, another belly dancer, has been given a one-year jail sentence on the same charges, Italian media reported.
The Egyptian crackdown comes despite efforts by Unesco to recognise belly dancing on its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Amie Sultan, an Egyptian actress and currently one of the country's best-known belly dancers, has been pushing to give belly dancing a better reputation in its country of origin.
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Egyptian belly dancer sentenced to hard labour for ‘violating morals'
An Italian-Egyptian belly dancer with more than two million Instagram followers has been arrested in Egypt on charges of offending public morality as local authorities clamp down on performers of the dance. Linda Martino faces a year of hard labour after she was arrested at Cairo airport and accused of 'using seduction techniques and provocative dancing to incite vice'. Her arrest follows the arrest of other famous belly dancers in Egypt in recent years as the hardline government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi takes a dim view of belly dancing, even though it remains popular in Egypt. The indictment accuses Martino of appearing 'in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of her body, in clear violation of public morals and social values.' Belly dancing can be found in nightclubs and at weddings in Egypt and is considered part of the country's heritage by noted performers such as Amie Sultan, who has campaigned to secure its recognition by Unesco. However, despite its cultural status, Egyptian women taking up belly dancing face stigma. Safy Akef, an instructor and the great-niece of the 1950s performer Naima Akef, said this month: 'No woman can be a belly dancer today and feel she's truly respected.' The result is foreign women — mainly from Russia and South America — are increasingly recruited. Recent arrests have targeted non-Egyptian dancers including Ekaterina Andreeva, a Russian dancer based in Cairo with a million followers on Instagram who was handed a year in jail with hard labour. Martino was born in Egypt but became an Italian citizen after marrying an Italian businessman, the Italian daily La Repubblica reported. During an initial hearing, she defended her profession, claiming 'belly dancing is an art, it cannot be a crime. 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.' She added: 'I don't know why Egypt is doing this, but I am also an Italian citizen and at this point I am asking for the Italian consulate to get involved.' • MPs attack Egypt over illegal detention of activist Italian media reported the Italian consul in Egypt has asked to visit the dancer. The arrest prompted complaints from opposition politicians in Italy who recalled the arrest in Cairo in 2016 of the Italian Giulio Regeni, a Cambridge doctoral student studying in Egypt. His battered corpse was found days later by a roadside. Egyptian security officials are on trial in absentia in Italy accused of torturing him to death. 'Linda's arrest is the latest action against the rights of women and human rights by Sisi's government,' said Elisabetta Piccolotti, an Italian MP with the AVS party. 'Giulio Regeni already died in those jails and we cannot downplay the potential consequences of the jailing of this Italian woman who has been accused of violating public morality by a fundamentalist government,' she added.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
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Telegraph
6 hours ago
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Italian belly dancer arrested in Egypt for ‘using seductive techniques'
An Italian belly dancer has been arrested and detained in Egypt for 'using seductive techniques'. Sohila Tarek Hassan Haggag, a naturalised Italian born in Egypt, dances under the name of Linda Martino and has more than two million followers on social media. Egyptian authorities arrested her at Cairo Airport on June 22, accusing her of corrupting public morals with her provocative dancing. The investigation was triggered by videos on her Instagram account, in which she writhes around in revealing clothing and describes herself as 'more than you can handle'. Investigators said Ms Haggag 'appeared in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of the body, in blatant violation of social values'. She was reported to be in possession of substantial sums of money at the time of her arrest, which authorities described as the proceeds of 'activities liable to instigate depravity'. The Cairo prosecutor accused her of having 'used seductive techniques and provocative dances to incite vice'. She is expected to remain in jail for at least another two weeks, according to reports. The Italian Embassy in Cairo is seeking urgent clarification on her case. Using techniques 'to incite vice' Ms Haggag moved to Egypt several years ago and has built a highly successful career. She was previously married to an Italian and is said to have relatives in the Veneto region. Her videos, often shot in popular venues to Egyptian hits, have attracted millions of views on Instagram and TikTok. The indictments include investigations into a cabaret on Egypt's north coast, where Ms Haggag 'appeared in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of her body, in clear violation of public morals and social values'. 'The investigations have ascertained that Linda used seduction techniques and provocative dances to incite vice,' the document read. Egyptian crackdown Egypt has clamped down on artists and influencers accused of undermining public morality in recent years. Under the government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, at least five belly dancers have ended up in jail on charges similar to those against Ms Haggag, Italian media reported. Katerina Andreeva, another belly dancer, has been given a one-year jail sentence on the same charges, Italian media reported. The Egyptian crackdown comes despite efforts by Unesco to recognise belly dancing on its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Amie Sultan, an Egyptian actress and currently one of the country's best-known belly dancers, has been pushing to give belly dancing a better reputation in its country of origin.
