Three Russian women in jail for 'twerking'

Three women in Russia's southern city Novorossiysk were sent to jail for dancing with "twerk" moves in front of a war memorial.

The city's lawyers ran a check after one of the dancers posted a video on Youtube which showed six girls dancing in front of a World War II monument. The women made "twerking" moves, a dance made popular by pop artists like Beyonce and Miley Cyrus, which includes provocative hip-thrusting movements.

All six were found guilty of hooliganism, but two were spared jail terms because of bad health. The district court in southern Russian city Novorossiysk sentenced one dancer to 15 days and the other two women to 10 days in jail.

Prosecutors said the women were performing "an erotic and sexual dance" and that the incident "of disrespect for the memory of war history" was unacceptable. "Any attempts to desecrate sites of military glory will be stopped immediately," the state representatives said.

Russia is soon celebrating the 70th anniversary of the World War II victory of the Allied powers, an emotionally charged holiday for the Kremlin.

The latest incident of "twerking" dances comes after a video of Russian school students performing a similar dance angered many people, prompting Russian authorities to launch a probe into indecency.

mg/rc (AFP, AP)