Egyptian singer Shaimaa Ahmed, known professionally as Shyma, has reportedly been jailed for two years after she appeared in a music video in her underwear “suggestively eating a banana”.
An Egyptian court found the 25-year-old guilty of “inciting debauchery” and publishing an “indecent film”, local media said.
The video’s director was also handed a two-year prison sentence in absentia.
Before her arrest, Shyma had issued an apology to people who took the video for the song, I Have Issues, “in an inappropriate way”.
“I didn’t imagine all this would happen and that I would be subjected to such a strong attack from everyone,” she wrote on her now-deleted Facebook page.
The video has sparked outrage across the country. However, the story has also been brought to international attention and people have taken to Twitter to voice their opinions on the case.
Happens only in third world:
“Egyptian police on Saturday arrested a pop singer known as Shyma after she appeared in a music video in lingerie while suggestively eating a banana” pic.twitter.com/VaqoIlGbyJ— Ensaf haidar (@miss9afi) November 18, 2017
Egypt once again jails a woman for doing something normal. Eating a banana suggestively. Feminists, where are you? https://t.co/Jt4SZM2oxu
— Sam Corfield (@_samcorfield) December 13, 2017
that’s when you realize that every country is not as open minded than others… #FreedomofExpression
Egypt singer jailed for ‘inciting debauchery’ in music video – BBC News https://t.co/qjAltpS3OJ— loubear (@_Lou_VD) December 13, 2017
Last year, Egyptian courts sentenced three female dancers to six months each in prison after convicting them of “inciting debauchery” in music videos.
