A group of six Iranian singers were arrested shortly after a video of them dancing to Pharrell's hit song "Happy" went viral. They have now been sentenced to 6 months in jail and 91 lashes, according to The Telegraph.
The six Iranian singers who were arrested for appearing in a viral video dancing to Pharrell Williams’ song "Happy" have been sentenced to six months in prison and 91 lashes.
The group became famous in May when their music video for the hit song circulated on YouTube, racking up more than 150,000 views before attracting the attention of Iranian authorities.
It featured three men and three unveiled women singing and dancing along to the four minute song in the street and rooftops of Tehran, mimicking the style of Pharrell’s official video.
The dancing violates Iran's strict vulgarity laws.
Authorities arrested the group for contravening Iran’s strict vulgarity laws, which prohibit public displays of dancing, and paraded the six on state television, forcing them to express remorse for their behavior.
The Islamic Republic condemned the video as a "vulgar clip which hurt public chastity" and in a trial on Wednesday sentenced the participants to a suspended sentence of six months in prison.
The director of video has received a suspended sentence but the rest of the group was told they would receive 91 lashes each for dancing in the video.