Iranian singer, Parastoo Ahmadi, sentenced to 74 lashes for singing without hijab
Iranian singer, Parastoo Ahmadi, sentenced to 74 lashes for singing without hijab
Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of her production team have reportedly been sentenced to 74 lashes, a two-year travel ban and a two-year prohibition from engaging in artistic activities after performing in a concert livestreamed on YouTube without adhering to the country’s mandatory hijab rules.
According to court documents reviewed by rights groups and legal advocates, the ruling was handed down by a criminal court in Iran’s Qom Province over allegations of offending public decency through the production and publication of what authorities described as “vulgar and immoral content” online.
The case stems from a December 2024 performance in which the 29-year-old singer appeared without a hijab while performing the patriotic song Az Khoone Javanane Vatan (From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland) during a livestream broadcast on her YouTube channel.
The performance quickly went viral, attracting millions of views and sparking widespread debate both inside and outside Iran over artistic freedom, women’s rights, and state censorship.
Shortly after the video was released, Parastoo Ahmadi and several musicians involved in the production were reportedly detained before later being released. Authorities subsequently opened a formal case against the artists over the publication of the performance.
Although Iran’s judiciary has yet to officially publish the verdict, human rights organisations and lawyers familiar with the case said the sentencing reflects a broader pattern of legal action against artists and public figures who challenge the country’s strict social and cultural regulations.
Bahar Ghandehari, Director of Advocacy at the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, condemned the punishment, describing it as evidence that human rights conditions in the country remain deeply troubling.
“Ahmadi’s punishment of 74 lashes for merely singing and appearing without a hijab is yet another reminder that human rights conditions in Iran have not changed,” she said.
According to Ghandehari, the case highlights the contrast between efforts by Iranian authorities to improve the country’s international image and the continued prosecution of individuals who publicly challenge state policies.
Human rights lawyer Moein Khazaeli also questioned the legal basis for the sentence, arguing that neither singing nor producing musical content by women is criminalised under Iranian law.
“Singing, performing music and producing or disseminating musical works by women are not criminalised under Iranian criminal law. Consequently, such activities cannot reasonably be construed as the production, distribution or publication of obscene content,” he said.
Khazaeli further argued that corporal punishment raises serious concerns under international human rights standards.
“The imposition of a flogging sentence against artists, civil society activists or other citizens is not merely a matter of domestic criminal law. It also raises serious concerns regarding states’ international obligations to prohibit torture and safeguard human dignity,” he added.
The ruling has triggered widespread reactions among artists, activists, and members of the Iranian diaspora, many of whom view the case as another example of cultural repression.
Iranian-British actress and human rights advocate Nazanin Boniadi said the sentence demonstrated that state repression remains deeply entrenched despite discussions about political reform in the country.
“The sentencing of singer Parastoo Ahmadi to flogging for the simple act of singing publicly without a hijab is a stark reminder that the machinery of repression remains unchanged,” Boniadi said.
The case has also resonated with Iranian artists living in exile. Actress Setareh Maleki, who left Iran after appearing in the Oscar-nominated film The Seed of the Sacred Fig, described Ahmadi’s performance as an act of courage and resistance.
“When I watched the video of Parastoo Ahmadi’s concert, it reignited the spirit of resistance in me,” Maleki said.
“Knowing all the consequences she would have to face, she still refused to give up her right, as a woman, to live, to sing and to be heard.”
For many observers, the case has become a symbol of the ongoing struggle between artistic expression and state control in Iran, particularly as women continue to challenge restrictions imposed on their public lives and cultural participation.
The sentencing is expected to attract further international scrutiny of Iran’s human rights record and treatment of artists, activists, and women who defy official regulations.
