3 young women jailed in Russia for twerking

MOSCOW (AP) – A court in southern Russia has sentenced one teenager to 15 days in jail and two young women to 10 days for twerking next to a World War II memorial.

Russia celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Allies’ victory in the World War II next month, an emotionally-charged holiday the Kremlin has been using for propaganda purposes.

The sentencing in Novorossiysk district court of a 19-year-old and two women in their 20s comes after prosecutors launched a probe into a video showing a group of woman twerking next to the memorial on the Black Sea. Twerking is a sexually provocative dance involving thrusting of the hips.

Prosecutors said in a statement Saturday that five women were found guilty of “hooliganism” and two of them spared jail because of poor health.