Key facts
- Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi sentenced to 74 lashes for performing without a hijab.
- The sentence was upheld by an Iranian court.
- Ahmadi and eight production team members were sentenced over a 2024 online concert.
- Rights groups described the sentence as 'a form of torture' and 'against humanity'.
- Iran's 'hijab and chastity' law imposes penalties including flogging and prison for dress code violations.
- Another singer, Hiwa Seyfizade, was reportedly sentenced to four years in prison for a performance.
An Iranian court has upheld a sentence of 74 lashes against popular singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing without a hijab, a decision that rights groups have decried as "a form of torture" and "against humanity." Ahmadi, 29, and eight members of her production team were sentenced by a court in Qom over a concert that was streamed online in 2024. The court deemed the performance "obscene and vulgar" and a violation of the country's "legal and cultural norms."
Under Iran's 'hijab and chastity' law, women found promoting 'nudity, indecency, unveiling or improper dressing' face penalties including fines, flogging, and lengthy prison sentences for repeat offenses. Lawyers noted the verdict was not unexpected, given recent statements from the head of Iran's judiciary advocating for a stricter crackdown on hijab non-compliance.
Roya Boroumand, co-founder of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights, stated that the concert was viewed as defiance not only for the unveiled singing but also for performing pre-revolutionary popular songs. Human rights lawyer Moein Khazaeli described the verdict as a crime against humanity, arguing that torture is effectively legal within the Islamic Republic's judicial system.
The harsh sentence has alarmed Iran's musical community. Singer Leili, 36, expressed feeling like a "coward" for watching fellow artists face consequences for self-expression. Hengaw, a Norway-based human rights group, reported that another singer, Hiwa Seyfizade, was also sentenced last month to four years in prison on charges of "promoting corruption and prostitution."
Despite years of enforcement, women in Iran continue to appear in public without headscarves, a trend attributed by some to ongoing defiance rather than any policy relaxation by the regime. Leili noted that social media reflects reality, with fewer women wearing hijabs, and that this change is driven by women pushing boundaries, not the regime. This week, students at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran protested against mandatory dress codes and economic hardship, chanting slogans against exploitation and compulsory hijab. Skylar Thompson of Human Rights Activists in Iran called the flogging an "archaic and deliberate act of violence" intended to intimidate other women.