Who is Sohila Tarek Hassan? Belly dancer arrested in this Muslim nation for seductive videos, country is…

Sohila Tarek Hassan, known as Linda Martino on Instagram, was arrested at Cairo Airport, after being accused of using provocative techniques in her belly-dancing videos.

Written by: Onam Gupta

Published: July 11, 2025, 2:29 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/entertainment/who-is-sohila-tarek-hassan-belly-dancer-arrested-in-this-muslim-nation-for-seductive-video-country-is-egypt-7938201/ Copy

Who is Sohila Tarek Hassan? Belly dancer arrested in this Muslim nation for seductive video, country is...

Sohila Tarek Hassan Haggag, known as Linda Martino on Instagram, would have never imagined in dreams that her trip to Cairo would end in a nightmare. A trained belly dancer with over 2 million followers on Instagram, was arrested at Cairo International Airport on June 22. According to investigators, she was detained for displaying “seductive techniques” and “indecent clothing” in her dance videos shared on Instagram.

Linda Martino’s belly-dancing videos got her in trouble?

The belly dancer who post multiple videos on her social media, describes herself “More than you can handle.” As per authorities, her “morally corrupt” videos landed her in legal trouble as it is against “public morality laws” of Egypt. The prosecutor accused her of having “used seductive techniques and provocative dances to incite vice.”

Linda is expected to remain in jail for at least two another weeks, according to Italian media. The Italian embassy in Cairo is asking for urgent clarification on her case.

Who is Linda Martino?

Linda was born in Egypt but became Italian after marrying an Italian man. After her marriage ended in divorce, she returned to Egypt to pursue her career in dance. She is known for captivating her online followers with trained belly dance moves in eye-catching bold costumes.

Linda’s arrest has drawn massive attention with authorities comparing it to past high-profile human rights issues involving Egypt. Besides Linda, at least five other belly dancers have already been arrested under same morality-related charges. Egypt has increasingly becoming strict in recent years with especially female influencers and TikTok creators facing allegations for their revealing or bold content. Meanwhile, a fresh statement on Linda Martino’s  case is currently awaited.