Court Cancels Belly Dancer Safinaz's Sentence

Reason returns to Egypt, as Armenian belly dancer Safinaz was acquitted of the charge of 'insulting the Egyptian flag.'

Making global headlines earlier this year, was the ridiculous arrest and charge of the belly dancer known as Safinaz for wearing an outfit during inspired by the Egyptian flag. Safinaz was the victim of a new law drafted in May which criminalised ‘insulting the Egyptian flag’, imposing up to a year in prison and a LE 30,000 fine.

In August, Safinaz was sentenced to six months in jail and given a LE 15,000 fine. At the time she continued to defend herself, reiterating that her red, white and black costume was intended to show her love for this the country and its people and not insult it.

According to Youm7, a Agouza misdemeanor court ruled today the cancellation of the six-month jail term and the fine. Although belly dancing in Egypt is legal, belly dancers face incredible hardships knowing what to wear, as often regulations are put forth vaguely banning sexy outfits without explaining the criteria used to identify what is deemed appropriate and illegally inappropriate. Hopefully, the courts will realise that these kinds of trials do nothing more than confuse, distract, and clog the courts from dealing with actual issues effecting Egyptians.