Egypt singer jailed two years for 'inciting debauchery'

Shyma was arrested on November 18, police said, following complaints about the video for her song 'I Have Issues'

Shyma, a little-known 21-year-old singer, was jailed by a Cairo court for 'inciting debauchery' for her music video 'I Have Issues'. YouTube screengrab
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A court in Cairo on Tuesday sentenced an Egyptian pop singer to two years in prison for "inciting debauchery" over a racy music video clip, a judicial source said.

Shyma, a little-known 21-year-old singer, was also fined 10,000 pounds (Dh2,061).

The director of the clip, Mohamed Gamal, received the same sentence. Both can appeal the ruling.

Shyma was arrested on November 18, police said, following complaints about the video for her song "I Have Issues".

"Singer Shyma presents a lesson in depravity to youths," said the Youm 7 newspaper in an article after the video was released.

In a Facebook post at the time, Shyma apologised for the video and said she had not anticipated the backlash.

"I didn't imagine all this would happen and that I would be subjected to such a strong attack from everyone, as a young singer … who has dreamt from a young age of being a singer," she wrote.

In 2015, a court jailed a female dancer to a year in prison for "inciting debauchery" in a raunchy music video for a song called "Let Go of My Hand".