Six Iranian Youths Charged With Lashings, Jail For Pharrell's 'Happy' Video
Six Iranian youths have been sentenced by the courts for participating in a homemade dance video for the popular song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams.
The lawyer representing the six young Iranian men and women announced that his clients had received suspended jail sentences of six months and lashings for their participation in the video. The video reportedly violated Islamic norms in Iranian society, and those females participating did not wear the proper headscarves during the filming.
The six-month suspended jail sentence reportedly means that the defendants will not have to face jail time unless they are found guilty of another crime within the next three years.
"My clients did act in a video and their actions are contrary to religious requirements but are not crimes to deserve legal punishment. Saying prayers is a religious obligation in Islam but no one gets jail terms for not saying prayers," lawyer Farshid Rofugaran told the Associated Press this week.
"The happy part of the verdict is that it's a three-year suspended sentence. The verdicts won't be carried out unless my clients are found guilty in a court of law for the next three years," he said.
Iranian court received international criticism when they charged the six youths back in May. During their time in jail, the three men and three women were reportedly forced to go on national television and apologize for making the video, saying they had been tricked into doing it.
Even the artist behind "Happy," Pharrell Williams, tweeted about the youths' imprisonment, saying: "It's beyond sad these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness."
