Iranian Youths Arrested For Making 'Happy' Video

Rights defenders are calling on Iran to release a group of young people who were arrested in Tehran for making a video in which they danced to Pharrell Williams' hit song "Happy."

Those arrested -- including at least six young men and women -- were shown on state TV on May 20, where they expressed remorse.

They said they had been "tricked" and had not intended for the video to be made public.

In the footage on state TV, a police officer criticizes them for dancing in mixed company, which is against the law.

Bloomberg News reports that the video was posted online last month and received 30,000 hits in four days, before it was removed.

The U.S.-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran condemned the arrests, saying the youths "were breaking no law. It is sheer thuggery."

It is not clear what charges the youths face.

With reporting by Bloomberg News