Five female TikTok users in Egypt have been sentenced to two years in prison for posting ‘indecent videos’ on the app.
The women were fined about $19,000(about Ksh2 million) each.
This is the first sentencing by the courts in Egypt following the country’s campaign against social media influencers.
In response, activists have launched social media campaigns to protest against the sentence.
“The Economic Court in Cairo sentenced Mawada al-Adham and Haneen Hossam and three others to two years in prison and fined them 300,000 Egyptian pounds each,” the state-owned website al-Ahram reported.
“They are accused of violating the values and principles of Egyptian society and posting indecent photos and videos disturbing to public morals,” al-Ahram added.
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Female social media influencers in Egypt have been the target of a series of arrests in the country, with women popular on TikTok being on the receiving end.
Among those arrested is Hossam, who was arrested in April, after she posted a three-minute clip telling her 1.3 million followers that girls could make money by working with her.
Adham on the other hand, was arrested in May after she posted several satirical videos on TikTok and Instagram to her 2 million followers.
The women were charged with posting videos inciting ‘immorality’ and ‘debauchery’ on the platforms. It is however not clear which particular videos and photos are of concern to the authorities.
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The public prosecutor’s office is said to often determine the charge as being “against Egyptian society’s traditions and morals.”
TikTok’s popularity soared over the last few months in Egypt, following the restrictions in movement imposed by governments due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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