An Iranian court has sentenced Iranian musician Parastoo Ahmadi to 74 lashes for participating in an online concert without wearing a hijab. According to a report by The Guardian, Ahmadi and eight members of her production team—including other artists—were penalized for their participation in a concert livestreamed on YouTube in 2024.
A criminal court in Iran’s Qom province handed down the verdict. In addition to the 74 lashes, the group members face a two-year ban on leaving the country and a two-year restriction on participating in artistic and cultural activities.
They were accused of creating and disseminating “indecent and immoral” content, which was deemed contrary to public decency. However, the Iranian judiciary’s news agency has not yet officially released the verdict.
Human rights organizations and lawyers view this case as part of a broader effort to suppress dissent among artists and cultural workers in Iran. Behar Ghandehari of the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran stated that such punishments—imposed for singing and performing without a hijab—demonstrate that the human rights situation in Iran remains unchanged.
She noted that while Iranian authorities attempt to improve their image through wartime-style propaganda, there has been no actual change in the human rights situation.
Reacting to the incident, journalist Masih Alinejad remarked that this move illustrates how women’s voices are perceived as a threat in Iran. She described it as a form of discriminatory system directed against women.
Human rights lawyer Moin Khazeli pointed out that Iranian law does not explicitly classify singing or musical performance by women as a crime.
Criticizing the verdict, Iranian-British actress Nazanin Boniadi stated that repression continues in Iran; despite discussions regarding political change, the situation has not actually improved.
The incident reportedly stems from December 2024, when Ahmadi performed a patriotic song titled “From the Blood of the Homeland’s Youth” online. During that performance, she appeared on stage alongside four male musicians without wearing a hijab, and the video subsequently went viral. The 27-year-old artist was briefly detained at the time; although she was later released, formal charges were filed against her over the release of the video.
