Cairo jails Italian-Egyptian belly dancer for 'violating morals'

An Italian-Egyptian belly dancer has been sentenced to a year of hard labour in Egypt on charges of violating public morality.

Linda Martino, who has over two million followers on Instagram, was arrested at Cairo airport and accused of using "seduction techniques and provocative dancing to incite vice", according to Egyptian authorities.

Officials claimed that she appeared "in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of her body, in clear violation of public morals and social values".

Martino was born in Egypt but holds Italian citizenship through her marriage to an Italian businessman, according to La Repubblica. During her court appearance, she defended her work as legitimate performance art.

"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 does not go against or violate public morality," Linda said.

"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," she added.

The Italian consul in Cairo has reportedly requested permission to visit her in detention.

Martino’s arrest comes amid increased prosecution of other high-profile belly dancers in recent years. While belly dancing remains popular at weddings and in nightclubs across Egypt, performers face mounting restrictions.

Amie Sultan, another leading dancer, has campaigned to have belly dancing recognised as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Despite its deep cultural roots, the profession continues to face social stigma, especially for Egyptian women.

Russian dancer Ekaterina Andreeva, who also has a large social media following, was handed a year-long sentence with hard labour under similar charges.

Recent cases have also sparked criticism in Italy. Opposition MP Elisabetta Piccolotti, from the AVS party, condemned Linda’s arrest.

"The arrest is the latest action against the rights of women and human rights by Sisi’s government," she said. "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."

Regeni was an Italian PhD student who was conducting field research in Cairo on trade unions, a politically sensitive topic in Egypt, before he disappeared in January 2016. His mutilated body was found several days later, showing signs of brutal torture, including engraved letters on his skin, broken bones, stab wounds, cigarette burns, and bruises, which are consistent with methods attributed to Egyptian security forces.