|
Court jails 2 for obscene dance
28/09/2007 08:20 - (SA)
Dakar - A court in Senegal on Thursday jailed for a month each two male organisers of a lewd dance party found to be offensive to public morals in this predominantly Muslim West African nation.
The three female dancers were freed pending sentencing to be handed down in eight months and were put under surveillance.
The nightclub owner, the cameramen who shot the video of the dance and the master of ceremonies at the event were however acquitted.
The charges arose from a video of the dance session at a private party in a Dakar nightclub in 2005.
Criminal court judge Catherine Aissata Ba found a Spanish businessman who organised the party and the nightclub's barman guilty and imprisoned them for a month. She also ordered them to a $430 fine.
The prosecution had sought six-month jail terms for the three dancers, including Ndeye Gueye, an icon of Senegalese dance regularly invited by singers to perform for their music videos and concerts.
The dancers had said they were deceived as they were told the event was a contest and that no recording would be made. The video of the party had been circulating on the internet for several months and was also available in Dakar markets on CDs.
|
News
