They danced to hip-hop music in front of a block of flats without a headscarf – the video went viral. Now the young women are said to have been arrested in Iran.
After the publication of a video of young women dancing without a headscarf, concerns about the protagonists grew in Iran. The women were arrested and forced to make an apology video, according to Telegram and Twitter accounts on Tuesday, which were among the first to spread the clip last week.
At the same time, a video appeared on online networks in which four women with their heads completely covered regret having danced in a video. The AFP news agency was initially unable to verify the authenticity and circumstances of this video.
The song’s singer shared the video
The original video of the women dancing had been circulating on social media for the past week and was growing in popularity. The five women dance in Tehran with their hair loose to the song “Calm Down” by Nigerian singer Rema. He had spread the video and wrote: “For all the wonderful women who work for a better world, you are a source of inspiration, I sing with you and I dream with you.”
In Iran, people have been protesting against the Islamic regime for months. Men and especially many women are demanding more rights. The so-called security forces are brutally cracking down on the public protests. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested so far and hundreds have died.
The demonstrations were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody. She was arrested by the vice squad in September for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly. Activists accuse the police of abusing Amini.
