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But videos of Hojabri are suddenly at the center conflict between religious extremists and Iranian liberals seeking more freedoms.
Officials arrested Hojabri, aged 17 or 18, after sharing videos of herself dancing to Western and Iranian music with tens of thousands of followers. The fight against social codes is not new in Iran. He has played in many ways for decades: Iranian musicians taking advantage of Western influences, for example, or Iranian women who challenge the authorities by pushing their headscarves to defying gravity.
dimension of dissent. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has often described websites as a Trojan horse of Western culture and values.
The Iranian media reported that the authorities were planning to ban more Instagram accounts or to close the site altogether. Other people than Hojabri also appear to have been detained for similar charges. Their identities are still unknown and all would have been released on bail.
In response to the arrest, some women went on social networks to post dance videos, in support of Hojabri, using the Iranian version of the hashtag # dancing_isn 't_a_crime. (It is forbidden for women in Iran to dance in front of men, unless these male observers are close family members.)
"I dance so that they (the authorities) see and know they can not take away our happiness and hope by arresting teens and (girls like) Maedeh, "the BBC translated a supporter's tweet."
Hojabri and other similar accusations appear previously on Iranian public television in a video in which the young gymnast – potentially speaking under duress – recognized in producing the videos.
"I had followers and these videos were for them. I had no intention of encouraging others to do the same … I did not work with a team, I did not receive any training. I only do gymnastics, "the Guardian newspaper said in the clip broadcast on Iranian state television.
The arrest of Hojabri is similar to an incident that occurred in 2014 when six young Iranians were arrested for producing a video based on the song Pharrell Williams. "Happy". The video quickly became viral, but also caused the disarray of conservative Iranian authorities.
After their arrest, the Iranian public television showed the detainees that they were involved in the production "Happy", even if they insisted they had been cheated to participate. As in the case of Instagram celebrity Hojabri, Iranian television has not shown the faces of individuals making confessions. Their sentence – one year in prison and 91 lashes – was suspended later.
The arrests at the time highlighted divisions in the direction of the country. Even though President Hbadan Rouhani has repeatedly stated that he could favor the opening of the official restrictive Internet of Iran in the past, law enforcement online ultimately falls under the jurisdiction of the judiciary, controlled by the proponents of religion.
unfolding across Iran in the midst of economic hardships, conservatives have taken a more repressive approach in recent months. Although authorities sometimes turn a blind eye to some violations of the country's strict laws on women's clothing or Western music, Iran routinely punishes violations to set the example.
Last year, four men and two women were arrested in the Zumba fitness routine and "western" dances. The authorities became aware of the group after posting videos of themselves dancing on Instagram and other social media platforms
The group was later accused of seeking to "change their way of life and promote the lack of hijab ".
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