Iranian artist punished for singing without hijab

The incident took place in December 2024. 29-year-old Iranian singer Parastu Ahmadi performed a patriotic song titled ‘Aj Khoone Javanane Watan’ on social media YouTube Live. At that time, she sang the song without a hijab. The song later went viral among netizens on social media. But an Iranian court called the content of the song ‘obscene’.
Within days of the song’s release, the Iranian administration detained Parastu Ahmadi and several members of her group. Although they were later released, a case was filed against them in court. The verdict in that case included punishments such as flogging and banning.
Recently, the country’s court severely punished singer Parastu Ahmadi for singing ‘obscene and immoral content’. She and eight members of her group will be given 74 lashes each. In addition, the court in Qom province banned the singer for two years and banned her from leaving the country.
A recent report by The Guardian revealed that the news has been criticized around the world since it was first reported. Human rights and cultural activists say that the ruling is not just a legal decision; it is an example of the suppression of dissent and cultural freedom. They say that such actions against artists who criticize the government have long been a common practice in Iran. Also, many people have protested the incident, including Iranian-British actress Nazanin Boniadi and exiled Iranian actress Setareh Maleki.
Moin Khazaili, a human rights lawyer with the legal aid organization Dadvan, said that the ruling has no clear legal basis. Current Iranian law does not criminalize women singing or performing music. Therefore, calling these activities ‘obscene content’ is an abuse of the law.
Bahar Gandhari, advocacy director at the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, said that sentencing an artist to 74 lashes simply for singing and appearing in public without a hijab was “extremely harsh and worrying. It paints a stark picture of the human rights situation in Iran.”