Egypt jails Armenian belly dancer for ‘insulting flag’



CAIRO // A Cairo court on Monday sentenced an Armenian belly dancer to six months in jail for “insulting” Egypt’s national flag during a performance last year, a judicial official said.

The dancer, widely known as Safinaz, was also fined about $1,960 but has been released on bail pending appeal.

Safinaz went on trial for wearing a costume that resembled the tri-coloured Egyptian flag during a performance last year in the Red Sea resort town of Ain Sokhna.

Media reports say the Armenian gained instant fame after arriving in Egypt more than two years ago, with her “erotic moves” in performances in several movies and at high-profile weddings.

Safinaz is married to an Egyptian.

* Agence France-Presse

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Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

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