Egyptian TikTok star arrested over 250 'indecent' videos

 Dubai: Egyptian authorities on Tuesday arrested social media influencer Basant Mohamed, accusing the 24-year-old TikTok star of producing and sharing hundreds of videos deemed “indecent” and in violation of public morality laws.

Police in Alexandria said they seized several iPhones, as well as alcohol and narcotics, during a raid in which Ms. Mohamed was taken into custody. She now faces charges of publishing content “contrary to societal values,” according to security officials.

The complaints lodged against her cite more than 250 videos, many of them livestreams, that prosecutors say contained sexually suggestive dancing, gestures and language.

It is not the first time Basant Mohamed has faced legal action. In 2020, she was detained on similar charges of posting “immoral” videos after her name trended on Google searches across Egypt.

Born in Marsa Matrouh and followed by roughly 2.5 million people on Instagram alone, Basant Mohamed is one of a growing number of young Egyptian women who have faced prosecution under laws regulating online expression.