South China Morning Post published this video item, entitled “Iranian couple reportedly sentenced to over 10 years in jail over public dancing video” – below is their description.
An Iranian court has sentenced a young couple to 10 years and six months in prison after a video of them dancing in public was widely shared online, according to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a press group set up by the Human Rights Activists in Iran. The watchdog NGO reported that Astiyazh Haghighi, who was not wearing a headscarf in the video posted on January 29, 2023, and her fiancé Amir Mohammad Ahmadi were charged with threatening national security and indecency. The Islamic Republic judiciary’s Mizan news agency refuted HRANA’s report, saying the length of the sentences was actually five years and that the video bloggers had been charged with stirring protests on their popular social media platforms.
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About This Source - South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post (SCMP), with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper founded in 1903. It is Hong Kong’s newspaper of record, owned by Alibaba Group.
China is the third largest country in the world by area and the largest country in the world by population. Properly known as the People’s Republic of China, the political territory of the country includes Tibet and Hong Kong. The capital is Beijing.
Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.
Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.
The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.