Egypt sentences 2 women to 6 months in prison with labour for appearing in racy music videos

CAIRO – An Egyptian court has sentenced two women to six months in prison with labour for “inciting debauchery” in racy music videos.

The court says Thursday that the two singers, known as Bardis and Shakira, promoted indecency in their videos. Neither of the two videos contains nudity. Along with the singers, they include other women dancing in revealing clothing.

Bardis’ video, entitled “Hard to Get,” was viewed more than two million times on Youtube. Shakira’s video, called “Cumin,” was viewed nearly three million times.

In June, an Egyptian court sentenced three people to prison terms for a racy video titled “Hands Off,” also for “inciting debauchery.”

Racy music videos are common in Egypt, but authorities sometimes clamp down on singers seen as taking things too far.