Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi has been sentenced to 74 lashes after performing without a hijab during a viral online concert, a ruling that has triggered criticism from human rights groups and artists globally. The 29-year-old singer was also given a two-year ban on leaving Iran and restrictions on artistic activities after a court case linked to her December 2024 livestream performance.
The verdict has brought fresh attention to restrictions faced by women artists in Iran, with activists questioning the legal grounds behind the punishment.
Viral concert led to legal action
The case relates to a performance in which Ahmadi sang the patriotic song Az Khoone Javanane Vatan (From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland) without wearing a hijab.
The concert was streamed on her YouTube channel and quickly gained millions of views online. Following the release of the performance, Ahmadi and several musicians involved in the production were detained before later being released.
Authorities later opened a legal case against Ahmadi and eight members of the production team, including musicians involved in the concert.
The court accused them of producing and sharing what officials described as "vulgar and immoral content" online.
Human rights groups criticise punishment
Bahar Ghandehari, director of advocacy at the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, criticised the verdict and said the punishment reflected ongoing restrictions in the country.
"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, despite the Iranian authorities’ wartime propaganda campaign aimed at improving their image."
Human rights lawyer Moein Khazaeli also challenged the legal interpretation behind the ruling.
"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.
Iranian artists stand in support
The ruling has also drawn reactions from members of the Iranian arts community.
Iranian-British actor Nazanin Boniadi criticised the decision, calling it a sign of continued pressure on women in Iran.
"The sentencing of singer Parastoo Ahmadi to flogging for the simple act of singing publicly without a hijab is a stark reminder that, despite talk in Washington of a ‘new regime’ in Iran, the Islamic republic’s machinery of repression remains unchanged. Accommodating a regime that flogs women for their voices and kills citizens for demanding their rights only emboldens it to continue down its tyrannical path."
Actor Setareh Maleki described Ahmadi’s performance as a symbol of resistance.
"When I watched the video of Parastoo Ahmadi’s concert, it reignited the spirit of resistance in me. For days, I kept watching the videos over and over again, and I felt immensely proud of Parastoo," she 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. Iranian women never stop fighting against tyranny, not even for a moment, and that is truly remarkable."
The case has become another flashpoint in the debate over women’s rights, artistic freedom and public expression in Iran.
