Iranian teen detained over Instagram dance videos

Tehran, July 8

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Iran has detained a teenager who posted dance videos on Instagram and attracted tens of thousands of followers.

State TV broadcast a video on Friday in which Maedeh Hojabri, 18, acknowledged breaking moral norms while insisting that was not her intention. It was unclear whether her statement was made under duress.

She had posted around 300 videos on her account, many of which showed her dancing. She also appeared in videos without wearing the obligatory Islamic headscarf. She had some 43,000 followers.

Iranian police have said they plan to shut down similar accounts on Instagram, and the judiciary is considering blocking access to the site. Iran already blocks Facebook, Twitter and other social media, though many Iranians access them through proxies and VPNs. — AP