Around the globe, thousands of people have made them: homemade videos for the irresistibly catchy Pharrell Williams hit "Happy."
But according to Bloomberg News, for eight young Iranians, making a "Happy" video has led to arrest and interrogation by authorities, because they are seen dancing in mixed company.
The news comes just days after Iranian president Hassan Rouhani called for the easing of internet access in the country. "#Cyberspace should be seen as opportunity: facilitating two-way communication, increasing efficiency & creating jobs," he tweeted.
According to the report, the seven dancers in the video were surprised by their unexpected hit.
"We couldn’t believe that 10,000 people would watch it in just one day. And the number is growing," said Neda, one of dancers, in an interview with independent news service Iran Wire in April.
The video, which first aired last month, had more than 30,000 visits in less than four days before it was pulled down.
This version of the video has since been released:
Here is video from Iran's state television which is reportedly showing the arrested youth being interrogated by authorities:
"We want to tell the world that Iran is a better place than what they think it is," Neda told Iran Wire last month. "Despite all the pressures and limitations, young people are joyful and want to make the situation better."
Neda also said the video makers were "really afraid" while filming. "Whenever somebody looked out of a window or someone passed by, we ducked behind a door to make sure we were not seen."
by Jennifer Van Evra via Electronic RSS
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